Neepsend Social Club and Canteen: What we thought of the food at the Sheffield bar decked out like a '70s social club

Steeped in industrial heritage, the area is awash with repurposed buildings that previously housed mills and warehouses, but are now occupied by some of the city’s coolest hospitality businesses including Cutlery Works and Peddler.

Sheffield’s reputation for producing incredible brews has also been responsible for bringing beer tourists to the area, starting with traditional – and iconic – venues such as the Fat Cat and the Kelham Island Tavern and now including more recent additions such as Heist Brew Co. and Hymn to Ninkasi.

In many ways, it is the seamless juxtaposition between the old and new that makes Kelham Island so special.

And that is why Neepsend Social Club and Canteen, which offers a modern twist on working mens’, and social, clubs of the 1970s and 80s is such a perfect fit for the area.

As I walk in on a chilly Wednesday evening, it does feel like you are temporarily transported to a different era, so successful is the homage to the popular venues of yesteryear, with its retro carpets, wooden panelling and vintage social club pictures.

The venue, which first opened its doors this summer, is split into three main areas – a lounge at the front, the middle is taken up by the canteen and restaurant – decked out with plush and extremely comfortable booths – with a pub games area at the back.

The food offering is a compact menu from Gravy Train, which is also owned by the twin brothers behind Neepsend Social Club and Canteen – Tom and Ben Miller, mainly comprised of poutine dishes, burgers, sandwiches and the social club classic, chicken in a basket.

Between us, my dining companion and I ordered the Budapest poutine which comes with charred peppers, crispy onions, soured cream and smoked paprika; the pastrami sandwich with house smoked pastrami, mixed pickles and mustard on toasted sourdough with fries and the club burger with a veggie patty that came with grilled onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato and house sauce and fries.

The kitchen had run out of crispy onions for the poutine so they were substituted for garlic mushrooms; and while they made for a slightly different dish the end product was utterly delicious. The deep flavours of the sauce had an umami feel to them, and were complimented perfectly with the sour cream and subtle paprika seasoning. Meanwhile, the club burger’s patty had a great texture to it, and all of the other components including the house sauce made for a very tasty and satisfying burger. The fries were great too. We also paid £1.50 extra for some slaw which was an excellent addition.

The pastrami sandwich had classic pastrami spices, slightly smoky, with fresh, lightly pickled vegetables (carrot and cauliflower), Dijon mustard and melted cheese (£1.50) inside toasted white bloomer, held together with a skewer, but not so deep filled or sloppy so as to not be eaten with fingers (and a few napkins!).

While the bar proudly displayed retro pump clips from the likes of Bass and Wards the beer offering was very contemporary, and included keg beers from Deya, Verdant and Thornbridge. The inclusion of pub snacks on card backing was a nice touch, too.

Overall, I really liked the atmosphere and the food and drink offering at Neepsend Social Club and Canteen, which was also pretty good value with three dishes, including ‘slaw and melted cheese add-ons, and a keg pint of beer coming in at £39.

The venue also has plenty of regular events going incuding a monthly Bullseye quiz on the third Thursday of the month; a drag bingo night on the second Wednesday of the month, during which around £400 worth of cash prizes are often given away and those in attendance are invited to take part in a conga line.

They will also be holding a special, Abba-themed New Year’s Eve event, when they will be playing all the Abba hits, along with other classics from the era, and people are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite 70s musician.

You can make a booking for events at Neepsend Social Club and Social here.