Award winning Sheffield bottle shop to reopen this month

Hop Hideout, which is based at the Kommune food hall in Castlegate in the city centre, will reopen on Friday, April 16, and will invite customers to sit in once indoor hospitality resumes.

When asked about reopening, owner Jules Gray said: “I’m positive and happy about this, but I’m also a bit reflective and have a common sense approach to it because we’re still in this serious, global pandemic; and we need to stay on it.”

Jules said she is looking forward to seeing customers in person when the next set of restrictions are lifted, something that is currently scheduled to take place from May 17, and said Kommune, and Hop Hideout, will be open for the entirety of the first week of indoor hospitality.

While its bottle shop-come-bar may have been closed during lockdown, Hop Hideout has continued to serve the city’s beer lovers by making deliveries.

Its delivery service has been in operation for years, and was introduced when they were still based on Abbeydale Road and wanted to open sales up to a wider customer base.

Jules believes that the reputation they have gained through an early uptake of online orders has helped customers to trust them to provide a safe service during the pandemic, and is something they will continue after restrictions are lifted.

She said she is grateful for the loyalty the business has been shown by its customers throughout the pandemic, adding: “Some of our customers live on their own, and we were some of the only people they were regularly seeing. Some people may say it’s just beer, but for us it’s more than that – it’s about community and is a way of bringing joy to people’s lives.”

In a bid to thank customers for their loyalty, and to support self-employed artists who have found themselves without revenue streams or an exhibition space during the pandemic, Hop Hideout has bought work from Sheffield artists to use as prizes for customers to win through giveaway draws.

Tom J Newell and Kev Gray are among the artists whose work has been given away to customers.

Hop Hideout, which was named the winner of the ‘Independent Retailer’ category of the Sheffield City Centre Retail Awards in December, has also supported charities including the National Emergencies Trust and Black Minds Matter UK, as part of their “give back to the community” initiative.

Customers can expect to find a wide selection of beer on offer when Hop Hideout reopens, with everything from Belgian Trappist beers to imperial stouts to wild ale and mixed fermentation style beers, as well as a wide selection from Sheffield breweries including St Mars of the Desert, Kelham Island Brewery, Loxley Brewery and Abbeydale Brewery.

In addition to running Hop Hideout, Jules also helps to organise Sheffield Beer Week and two-day craft beer festival Indie Beer Feast, which is due to return to Abbeydale Picture House on Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7. The popular event is usually held in March.

Hop Hideout’s bottle shop will be open from 12-5 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12-4 on Sundays until indoor hospitality reopens. Visit https://www.hophideout.co.uk/ for more information.

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In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.