Old Red Lion Pub

News for Old Red Lion:

• 10th August 2026

  A popular Grenoside pub is set to feature in a major new Coca-Cola campaign celebrating the role family-run businesses play in their local communities.
  
  The Old Red Lion has been chosen as part of Coca-Cola Great Britain's new Counter Cultures campaign, which shines a spotlight on independent businesses across the UK.
  
  The historic country pub is one of three South Yorkshire family-run businesses taking part in the campaign. As part of the initiative, each business will receive a five-figure sum to support a local initiative or community cause of its choice.
  
  The campaign comes after new research commissioned by Coca-Cola found that many young people are choosing to stay closer to home. Almost half of Gen Z said they are considering following in their family's footsteps.
  
  In Yorkshire, 33 per cent of people surveyed said they had noticed more young people staying local rather than moving away. And 53 per cent, believe this benefits local businesses and the economy.
  
  The Old Red Lion has welcomed customers for generations from its historic building, which dates back to the 1700s.
  
  The Grenoside pub is known for its traditional home-cooked meals and is a popular stop for walkers exploring nearby Greno Woods.
  
  Owner David Sargant said the pub has always been about more than serving food and drink, describing it as a place where families meet for meals, mountain bikers stop after a ride and old friends catch up.
  
  "My wife and I run it together and what makes it special is that people feel comfortable here," he said. "It's familiar, people know each other, and they know they will be welcomed. That's what makes a local pub such an important part of a community."
  
  The campaign also features Ocean Fish Bar in Monk Bretton, run by Pindy Kaur and Bill Singh, and Bennett's Bites in Barnsley, owned by Chantelle and James Bennett.
  
  Coca-Cola's Wakefield factory also plays a central role. The site employs more than 600 people and sits at the heart of the campaign, with a film following Coca-Cola's journey from the factory to the locations where it is served.
  
  Dusan Stojankic, Vice President and General Manager of Great Britain and Ireland at Coca-Cola, said the campaign was designed to celebrate family-run local businesses and multi-generational teams.
  
  "For 125 years, Coca-Cola has been made, served and shared by people and businesses in communities across Great Britain," he said.
  
  "With Counter Cultures, we wanted to celebrate the family-run local businesses and multi-generational teams who help bring that story to life every day."
  
  The Counter Cultures campaign launches this summer, with more stories set to be released throughout the year.