Rockingham Group transforms public toilet to launch Sheffield site
Public, which is located on the former site of Sheffield Town Hall’s 19th century public toilets, is a stylish 40-seat venue that operates a ‘vinyl only’ music policy – with all records provided by locally renowned independent shop Bear Tree Records.
It is the fourth venture from local publicans James O’Hara and James Hill, the entrepreneurs behind the Rockingham Group, which has already successfully launched Picture House Social – named runner-up in the 2015 and 2016 Observer Food Monthly Awards in the 'Best Places to Drink in the UK' category.
The group’s other ventures include the Great Gatsby, another site in Sheffield’s city centre, and the steel city’s first sit-down table-service cocktail bar, Daisy’s Bar.
"Most personal project yet"
Upon the launch of Public, James O’Hara, co-founder of the Rockingham Group said: “Our fourth venue marks a step-change in the group portfolio. It’s by far our most personal project yet.
“We’ll create exceptional cocktail craft in the north and deliver an exclusive bar experience to those seeking the unexpected.
"At Public, the Rockingham Group continues to elevate drinking experiences at a regional level and will help to put Sheffield firmly on the map with food and drink enthusiasts seeking out the best destination cocktail bars.”
Focusing on sustainability, Public has a list of cocktails fashioned from bar waste products in a Public Awareness section of its extensive drinks menu. It includes the Knockbox City Limits, which infuses waste coffee grounds from Steam Yard, a coffee shop in in the city, in Pedro Ximénez wine, and the Sherbet Fountain includes a house-made ‘no waste’ sherbet ingredient made from citrus peel.
