Sheffield landlords close pub they took on after wedding

A couple from Sheffield who become landlords of the pub that hosted their wedding party have now closed the venue after less than a year of trading.

Despite having no experience of licensed trade, James and Tamsin Kaminski took over the running of The Sportsman in Lodgemoor in March 2024 after celebrating their marriage in the grounds the previous summer.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the couple said: “It is with a heavy heart we announce we will not be extending our lease.

“The cost of running The Sportsman is beyond what we can invest as a family.”

The Sportsman is one of the highest pubs in Sheffield, sitting at the top of Redmires Road with views over the Rivelin Valley.

The Kaminskis’ wedding was the last event at the pub before the death of the former long-term landlady, Jill Hoffman.

Mr Kaminski admitted that although much of their tenure had been “enjoyable”, it had also been a “rough year” with wages making up 40% of their turnover.

“We had no experience in the field. You hear all the time about pubs closing, we are finding out why ourselves.

“There is a breaking point. We really struggled with utility costs – they are massive, much bigger than we forecast for.”

Another factor that affected The Sportsman’s revenue was the unpredictable weather.

“We are a destination pub, the views are incredible but we rely on walkers and cyclists and when the weather is bad people don’t come out.

“We seemed to have one storm after another,” said Mr Kaminski.

The couple’s last official day as landlords will be Saturday 8 February. Mr Kaminski acknowledged that the support from locals had been “incredible” and the final shift would be an “emotional” experience.

“Financially Saturday will be a huge relief but you can’t keep passing that cost on to the customer. Ultimately it’s not a charity, we have to make some money to live ourselves.”

The Kaminskis have not ruled out returning to the pub industry and running their own place again but for now are looking for work elsewhere.

The Stonegate Group, who own The Sportsman, have advertised the fixed term tenancy on their website.

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