Britain’s toughest pub contender set for softer future

An infamous Birmingham pub once branded a contender for Britain’s toughest pub is set for a softer future.

The Sportsman on Saltley Road was put up for sale last year and the new owners plans to transform it into an industrial and retail space have been approved.

The pub, in Saltley, was featured in a Sky documentary series back in 2003 that toured the nation’s hardest boozers. The show described punters at The Sportsman as ‘a special breed of drinker’ that had a penchant for ‘loopy juice’, otherwise known as cider.

One pub-goer was recorded saying: “If I have a good session on that, I could kill you, and I wouldn’t even f***ing know I’d done it.”

The pub was listed on Rightmove in July 2022 along with its beer garden and brick shed at the back for £250,000. It has been vacant for around a year and a half and is in poor condition with faded paint and missing sign letters.

KBT Fabrics is the developer looking to transform the venue into a warehouse and extra retail space. The textiles business owns the building next door and is looking to expand its operation, with six full-time and two part-time employment positions made available after work is finished.

Birmingham City Council received a similar application in January 2023 that was refused because there was not enough information on how parking and noise may affect local residents.

This latest bid was approved on May 10 and will see part of the pub demolished with new shopfront windows added on the ground floor.

Planning documents read: “The existing public house is currently vacant and in the past 10-15 years the adjoining sites, which are in the ownership of the applicant, have seen the expansion of KBT Fabric Centre which is currently operating from premises on either side and the rear of the public house.

“The former pub is not designated as an asset of community value and there are other public houses located closer to residential properties.”