Why everyone describes the atmosphere as unique in this Sheffield pub on the site of an old vicarage

The Church House on St James’ Street is known for its friendly staff, great atmosphere and live music on Friday and Saturday nights, with a focus on classic rock and blues.

Proprietor Andrew Delemere has been at the helm for over five years, and has worked to cultivate a welcoming and laid-back culture at the pub.

"When you walk in, the atmosphere is quite unique. That feeling of being in a church seems to have an effect on everyone. We’ve never had any trouble here.

"The building has a lot of character, and it’s just nice and friendly here. Everyone is welcome,” said Andrew.

The Church House, which is owned by Star Pubs, has three to four real ales and Guinness on draught, as well as three lagers and a selection of ciders.

The pubs spirit offering includes 15 gins, between 15 and 20 whiskies including Scotch, Irish and Bourbon, and a variety of rums.

Andrew hails from Dublin, and the pub has a number of nods to his homeland, including a ‘Guinness corner,’ decked out with memorabilia, and a gaelic sign above the door which reads céad míle fáilte, meaning ‘1,000 welcomes,’ Andrew tells me.

The Church House has an eclectic collection of signs, antiques and art on the wall, including the pub’s ‘legends of rock’ mural which is beloved by regulars and is the subject of much of the pub’s merchandise for sale.

Playing softly in the background is a carefully curated, and constantly evolving, playlist of alternative music selected by Andrew and including recommendations from customers.

Upstairs is an recording studio which contains a room with the capacity for around 30 people that has previously been used to hold electronic open-mic nights. Andrew is just waiting for the council to give him the go-ahead to make a number of minor changes to the listed building, after which time he hopes it can be used by schools and any other party with an interest in recording.

Andrew and the team made a number of improvement to the pub’s toilets, kitchen and outside area during lockdown.

The pub is gearing up for this Halloween, and Andrew says they always go ‘all out’ to mark the spooky occasion.