Sheffield Stag Do

Yes, it’s where The Full Monty was set. No, nobody expects a routine from the stag. Unless he’s offering, in which case I can’t stop you. A Sheffield stag do mixes a serious beer scene and a lively student-heavy night out with some of the best countryside in England right on the doorstep.

It’s a down-to-earth city. Nobody cares how fancy your shirt is, the pubs are proper pubs, and the locals are as friendly as anywhere in Yorkshire. It’s the stag do for groups who’d rather spend the money on rounds than on velvet ropes.

West Street, Carver Street and Division Street make up the main circuit, a long run of bars and pubs that fills up with students and stag groups at weekends. It’s loud, it’s cheerful and it’s the obvious place to finish the night. Leopold Square and the Devonshire Quarter are a bit more grown-up for food and an early drink.

The real treat is Kelham Island, an old industrial district that’s now the beating heart of Sheffield’s brewing scene. The Kelham Island Tavern has a cabinet full of CAMRA awards and the Fat Cat is a long-standing favourite, with plenty of taprooms and brewery pubs in between. Turn it into a beer tasting afternoon and appoint someone sensible to hold the map. It won’t be the stag.

Sheffield’s big trick is the Peak District, which starts more or less at the edge of the city. That opens up hiking for groups who like a view with their hangover, rock climbing on the famous gritstone edges, and caving around Castleton for anyone who wants to crawl about underground before he crawls about on West Street. Book an instructor for anything vertical or subterranean. The stag’s fiancée wants him back in one piece.

Back in town, the Crucible Theatre hosts the World Snooker Championship every spring, and Bramall Lane and Hillsborough are worth a look if a fixture lines up. Make sure someone goes home with a bottle of Henderson’s Relish, the city’s famous sauce, which locals put on pretty much everything.

Sheffield is on the main line from London St Pancras and well connected by train to the rest of the north and the Midlands. The centre is walkable, Kelham Island is a short stroll from it, and the Supertram helps if your hotel is further out. For the Peak District, a minibus is far easier than herding a Sheffield stag weekend onto public transport.

If you want to compare, Leeds is bigger and glossier, while Nottingham is a similar mix of students and late bars.

• No drinking in the streets. Sheffield’s city centre has an order banning alcohol in the streets. Finish your pint inside.
• Fancy dress. Fine on West Street, less welcome in a quiet real ale pub. Read the room before the inflatable costumes come out.
• Pack for the hills. Proper boots and a waterproof, even in summer. The Peak District doesn’t care about your forecast app.
• Bring ID. A city full of students means doormen check everyone.
• Compare first. Packages vary a lot, so compare stag do packages before you send the group a deposit request.

I’d keep the lads in the city centre. It’s walkable, the main circuit of West Street, Carver Street and Division Street is right there for the big night, and Leopold Square and the Devonshire Quarter are close by for food and an early drink. Kelham Island, the heart of the brewing scene, is a short stroll from the centre, so you can do the taprooms on foot and still find your way back.

If the beds end up further out, don’t panic. The Supertram helps, so a hotel outside the centre still works as long as everyone knows which stop is theirs. Write it on the stag’s hand if you have to.

My practical tip: if you’re heading into the Peak District, sort a minibus when you book the rooms. It’s far easier than herding a stag group onto public transport, and it means you can base yourselves in town for the nights out and still get out to the hills in the day.

Friday Get the main line up from London St Pancras, drop the bags and head straight to Kelham Island. Work your way round the taprooms and brewery pubs, with a stop at the Kelham Island Tavern to admire its cabinet full of CAMRA awards. Appoint someone sensible to hold the map. It won’t be the stag.

Saturday Daytime is either hills or mud. For the outdoorsy lot, take the minibus to the Peak District for hiking or climbing on the gritstone edges, or caving around Castleton with an instructor. Pack proper boots and a waterproof. If the group would rather stay closer to the bar, book paintball or quad biking instead. In the evening, eat in Leopold Square or the Devonshire Quarter, catch a comedy show, then hit the West Street, Carver Street and Division Street circuit. Fancy dress is fine on West Street but not in the quiet ale pubs, and bring ID, because the doormen check everyone.

Sunday Whatever ends up on the breakfast plate, put Henderson’s Relish on it, as the locals do with pretty much everything. If you’re there in spring, the World Snooker Championship is on at the Crucible Theatre, and Bramall Lane or Hillsborough are worth a look if a fixture lines up. Make sure someone takes a bottle of Henderson’s home.