While the Steel City’s deindustrialisation may have forced it into economic decline in the 1970s, there’s now renewed optimism in places like Leah’s Yard, an early 19th-century industrial workshop complex transformed into a lively hub for local makers.
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Over the course of a long weekend, I plan to dive into the food scene, meeting some of the locals leading the charge of Sheffield’s transformation.
The north of England is home to some of the UK’s finest restaurants, from Tommy Banks’ Yorkshire empire and Simon Rogan’s hub in the Lake District to the Lancashire village of Aughton with its five Michelin stars. In Sheffield, Joro leads the New Nordic, small plates charge, but lower rents and unique spaces are attracting a new wave of entrepreneurs.
Marmadukes serves an excellent flat white (Photo: Chloe Gunning-Sherifi)Sheffield is a city of two halves. There’s the centre, where you’ll find the station, temperate Winter Garden, Town Hall and shopping district. Then, there’s Kelham Island: the nucleus of Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
Kelham Island Museum (Photo: Chloe Gunning-Sherifi)
Sheffield-born Arctic Monkeys are said to have been inspired by the once insalubrious district when writing their 2006 song “When the Sun Goes Down”.
A food tour of Kelham Island is a helpful introduction. I am mesmerised watching Sheff-born Pizzaiolos hand-stretching dough for the wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas at Brey’t Dough (a play on Yorkshire slang, meaning alright).
Chloe Gunning-Sherifi at Factory Floor (Photo: Chloe Gunning-Sherifi)
One Kelham Island superstar is Max Scotford from Bullion Chocolate. Sheffield born-and-bred; Max aspired to be the next Willy Wonka. He built his brand from home and proves that passion and determination pay off. His premium chocolate bars are rich and earthy, stocked by Harrods and used in the kitchens at Claridge’s.
Close to his chocolate factory, in a former tool manufacturing company, is a vegan bar called Church – Temple of Fun, a venture launched by Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oliver Sykes, who grew up in Sheffield.
Church – Temple of Fun is owned by Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes (Photo: Chloe Gunning-Sherifi)
And then there are the food halls, of which Sheffield now has four: Cutlery Works, Department (formerly Kommune), Sheffield Plate and Cambridge Street Collective, which, at 20,000 square feet, is the largest purpose-built food hall in Europe. It has an associated culinary foundation with masterclass kitchens for hire that aims to alleviate food poverty and insecurity in the city.
Roaming the counters of Cambridge Street is like a mini world food tour – Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Palestinian and West African dishes are all on offer. I manage a few from Japanese vendor Edo, with each bite of sushi fresh and delicately crafted.
In search of a nightcap, I discover Public, a chic cocktail bar located in a former men’s toilet behind the Town Hall. My Below Ground cocktail blends smoky mezcal with shiitake mushroom vodka, prosecco and burnt toast oil. Like Sheff, it is unique, savoury and memorable.
How to get there
Sheffield is served by East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry trains from a range of UK stations.
Where to stay
Mercure Sheffield St Paul’s Hotel & Spa has rooms from £73.
Leopold Hotel has rooms from £85.
Radisson Blu Sheffield has rooms from £78.
Where to visit
A Taste of Kelham Food Tour is £65pp
More information
welcometosheffield.co.uk
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