Sheffield's landmark Porter Cottage pub undergoes major refurbishment - including Arctic Monkeys nod, 'junk shop vibe' and huge mural

Blackrose Pubs has invested £365, 000 to spruce up the boozer, which has been a popular fixture on Sharrow Vale Road for decades.

The pub company has applied their Dirty Habit branding to the venue, following the success of two other pubs under that banner elsewhere in the UK.

The site has undergone a full refurbishment inside and out, with a brand new beer yard added to the rear.

This includes some nice Sheffield touches, including a neon sign stating ‘Get on your dancing shoes, you sexy little swine’ – a reference to the song Dancing Shoes by Sheffield-band Arctic Monkeys.

Alex Brumwell, business development manager for Dirty Habit, said “A staple venue in Sheffield, the Porter Cottage is steeped in history and a well engrained name within the local area, we are taking an already successful site, refacing it and increasing the offer to make a versatile venue.

“Set in a strong local setting, with a vast student base nearby, we are seeking to offer something for everyone with the Porter Cottage by Dirty Habit; they will be hosting live entertainment, from bands to DJ’s, alongside the showing of live sporting events, pub quizzes and a strong core offering.

The Porter Cottage will open to local bands and be a real contributor to the community.

“The general manager, Will Flaherty, and his team will deliver Porter Cottage by Dirty Habit to its fullest potential, keying into the customers’ needs and wants and delivering them to a standard not seen before at the Porter Cottage.

"The team are focused on welcoming their customers back after a number of weeks of closure as the venue gets a new facelift fit with upgrades.

"The site has cocktails, cask, craft cans and an amazing draught and spirit range and I can’t wait to see the success of this site as we take it into the second half of the year.”

Alexandra Mason, from JMDA Design who worked on the development, added: “The demographic is primarily students, and the venue will be home to local up and coming bands.

“The concept was to be twisted to provide a junk shop vibe, which we found to be a great brief to carry-out as we could go off-the-wall! On first impression, the site stands-out from its surroundings, painted entirely in a dark and moody blue with custom urban-inspired graffiti, referencing the Porter Cottage and Blackrose.

“The bar is constructed of scaffold board and poles with a Dirty Habit neon; walls are lined with vibrant colours, exposed brick, and peeling wallpaper to give a lived-in look. Custom graffiti is dedicated to iconic bands from the area and shelves are filled with weird and wonderful junk shop collectibles.”

She added: “The toilets give a real music venue feel with graffiti, posters, stickers, and industrial mirrors covering metro brick tiles. Into the yard, collected pieces of furniture provides an external drinking area to make the most of the summer months and custom rose graffiti artwork cover the brick walls, paired with well-known lyrics.”