Fat Cat, The

Built as a pub in 1850, Fat Cat came up for sale in 1981 and was purchased by a Sheffield Poly lecturer, and a solicitor. Rules for guidance were quite simple - no muzac, good range of properly kept draught beers, open fires, and a selection of wholesome and reasonably priced food. Fat Cat was the first pub in Sheffield to sell Marstons, Timothy Taylors and Theakstons, and after a time added its own brews from The Kelham Island Brewery, built at the back of the pub.

The food remains wholesome and reasonable prices, with sweet potato and red onion pie, steak pie and chicken casserole and rice plucked from the menu at random. Roly-poly is the favourite sweet. A buffet meal for £5.50 includes chilli, chicken drumsticks, potato wedges and an Indian selection.

Beware the Pale Rider, not a leather-clad psychopath, but an equally dangerous draught beer that weighs in at ABV 5.2%, and is oh-so-easy to drink. Some continental lagers and beers add zest to the possibilities, but none so much as Grande Pale, made with English hops and floor malted barley, and a rating of ABV 6.6%. Just take a taxi.