alas_alas Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Recently I got an invitation to go to The Sportsman pub, which has obviously just been renovated and re-opened by Ember Inns. Professional-looking invitation, but it's full of arrant nonsense. The main contention I have with it is that it doesn't even say where the pub's located! Looking forward to seeing me soon are you Rebecca Aitken at Ember Pub and Dining? I might take you up on your offer of a free dessert, that you say you'd love to treat me to, if you'd only told me where The Sportsman is. I might give it a miss actually, despite your 'obvious' 'fondness for ale'. Soz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotPhil Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 That'll be the one in Crosspool I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alas_alas Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 Still not tempted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedith Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I thought Ember Inns had pulled out of Sheffield. Four of there pubs in this area have gone over to Vintage Inns. The Sportsman was in desperate need of a refurb last time I was in. Ember Inns seemed to have lost the plot a lately, the Robin Hood at Millhouses went the same way, torn wallpaper, sticky tables, threadbare carpets etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesplease Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Ember is being rebranded i believe. The other Embers in Sheffield have not changed to Vintage, the Hammer has been changed for sometime now, The Prince is now a country dining pub, the robin has not changed and the Sportsman is now an ember that lets kids in. Which surely goes against what an ember was in the first place. I went in to the Sportsman yesterday and it doesnt look any different to me to be honest. Menu is smaller and more expensive now so wont be going back.....maybe they want you to guess where it is?! chances are you would end up in a better pub that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedith Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Ember is being rebranded i believe. The other Embers in Sheffield have not changed to Vintage, the Hammer has been changed for sometime now, The Prince is now a country dining pub, the robin has not changed and the Sportsman is now an ember that lets kids in. Which surely goes against what an ember was in the first place. I went in to the Sportsman yesterday and it doesnt look any different to me to be honest. Menu is smaller and more expensive now so wont be going back.....maybe they want you to guess where it is?! chances are you would end up in a better pub that way! I used to use Ember Inns when travelling around the UK. Hence I get emails from various parts of the country from them. All the ones I have visited have sent me an email saying they are no longer Ember Inns and from 13th October will be Vintage Inns. The Prince of Wales at the top of Carterknowle used to be, in my opinion, one of their best in this area. The Robin Hood and Sportsman being probably the worst I've visited. You're right, with Ember Inns the attraction was 'no children under 14', but as I found out in the Rising Sun at Abbey Lane, that has gone by the board now. I shan't be bothering with them in future, and as for sh*te Vintage Inns serve up, I shall be giving them a miss too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesplease Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 oh i see, i wonder if the Ember brand is in trouble then? The Sportsman does have a new sign outside that says Ember though? I have also been informed that many o the staff from the old Prince of Wales now work at the Sportsman. another reason i wont be returning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 It looks like they have turned it from a pub that does food to a restaurant with a bar http://crosspool.info/2010/09/16/the-sportsman-pub-to-reopen-on-friday/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkyb Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I was skeptical about the Sportsman as I agree with others that no kids was the main benefit of Embers. However having been in a few times its not as bad as I thought it would be. It has changed inside and it was well over due a refurbishment. The menu is pretty much the same with a few extra bits that I think are good additions and the prices are pretty much the same if you look closely. They have more handpulls BUT they seem to have a fairly rubbish selection. Both The Sportsman and the Robin used to have a range of different ales some of which were good. The sportsman now seems to have pretty bog standard and crap ales, Landlord (Yawn), Golden Best (Not good), Tetley and John Smith cask (Yawn and most of the time not good) and sometimes a guest ale that is a bitter and about 3-4%. They need to start trying some slightly more exciting ales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyTup Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I drove past the other day and noticed it was an Ember Inn. I assume this must be new because I'd not noticed it before - I haven't been in there for years. So I go onto the Ember Inns website and put S10, then Sheffield, then Crosspool, then Sportsman in, but it doesn't come up with any such pub in Sheffield. Only mentions the Robin Hood and one or two others. So, the Sportsman at Crosspool is a very well kept secret then? So much so that the parent company who owns it doesn't even know about it! I did find it's own website eventually using Google. Strange how its not on the national site though. Thanks to kirbyb for update on the beers. On their website it looks like the have a massive selection - mentions up to 10 cask ales - and it gives some examples. But from what you have told us it's mainstream rubbish as usual. So, I'll give it a miss too! Shame really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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