Eight Sheffield pubs lost for good in 2025, as number of 'long terms closed' bars revealed

Sheffield’s branch of the consumer campaign group CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) says there were eight pubs permanently lost in the city last year, and says another 21 have uncertain futures.

But despite the losses, the city has actually seen more venues opening than closing in recent years, according to CAMRA, because of the rise of micropubs.

This week, plans to convert a long established local, The Mason’s Arms, in Crookes, into a children’s nursery were submitted to Sheffield Council, while early this year, the former John O’Gaunt pub in Gleadless Valley was lost for good as demolition teams knocked the building down.

However, while there have been losses, CAMRA say that in recent years, it has seen more openings than closures as micropubs have become more popular - smaller pubs opening in former shops, often on neighbourhood high streets.

Sheffield CAMRA spokesman, Neil Harvey, told The Star: “Over the last few years there have been more openings than closures, but these have been mainly micropubs as opposed to traditional pubs.”

But he added: “We at CAMRA must admit to being more pessimistic for 2026, due to reasons that we have highlighted before – higher energy costs, increased Employers National Insurance, increase in minimum wage, and increase in business rates.

“We acknowledge that minimum wage increase is good for employees, but it makes pubs less likely to take on more staff as it only increases their costs.”

The organisation, which was set up to promote real ale but has subsequently become a campaign group on wider pub issues, keeps a tally of closures and openings in the city.

Its figures for 2025 show that Sheffield gained three pubs overall last year.

However, it reported eight permanent closures - that is closures where the building can no longer ever be used again as a pub, often because of demolition of redevelopment.

They described 21 pubs as currently being ‘long term closed’. That is when a pub has not permanently closed and could potentially re-open, perhaps because the owner is looking for a new operator, the pub is for sale, or a change of use has been applied for or granted but has yet to be carried out. Examples may include The Closed Shop, in Crookes, the Royal Oak in Deepcar and a second Royal Oak, off Blackburn Road near the M1, which was recently targeted by suspected arsonists.

On the other hand, CAMRA say there have been nine venues converted to pubs, two newly built pubs opened, and 11 ‘new openings’

The 21 ‘long term closed’ pubs is the highest figure the organisation has recorded since 2016.

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CAMRA says the number of closures has fallen since the Government tighten up ‘permitted development’ rights in 2017, making it harder to close pubs without needing a planning application.

However the organisation says it believes one of the main categories of permanent closures in pubs is now changing them into restaurants. It says there is currently a loophole in planning laws that allows an owner or operator to decide that they are no longer a pub and will operate as a restaurant, meaning people cannot go in and have a drink without buying a meal.

CAMRA said most council planning officers will judge that this change of use does not require planning approval, since it can be inferred that pubs and restaurants are legally identical.

Last year saw the former Gypsy Queen pub, in Beighton, transformed into a Hickory’s Smokehouse restaurant.