Frerot at Cambridge Street Collective: What to expect at jewel in crown of new Sheffield food hall

Excitement is building ahead of the opening of Sheffield’s newest food hall, said to be the largest purpose-built one in Europe.

But of all 20 food and drink vendors preparing to tantalise the tastebuds at Cambridge Street Collective in the city centre, when it opens on Thursday, May 23, the buzz surrounding Frerot is the biggest.

Frerot is the latest project from brothers Joseph and Luke Grayson, whose Juke & Loe restaurant, first on Ecclesall Road and then at The Milestone in Kelham Island, was a critical sensation which earned a place in the Michelin Guide.

Juke & Loe at The Milestone closed at the end of March this year but Kelham Island’s loss turned out to be Sheffield city centre’s gain as the Grayson brothers chose to become part of Cambridge Street Collective.

‘The idea came about kind of quickly’

The Star caught up with Joseph Grayson to learn more about Frerot, including how it came about and what diners can expect.

“The idea came about kind of quickly,” he explained. “We announced in February that we were going to close Juke & Loe at The Milestone.

“The Milestone’s owned by Matt and Nina Bigland, who are behind Cambridge Street Collective.

“We were originally going to rebrand to more of a gastropub but the idea was hit upon to put something different into the new food hall, and that’s how Frerot came about.

‘Unfussy, flavoursome, eclectic British food’

“The ethos will be the same. We will still be serving unfussy, very flavoursome, eclectic British food but it will be small plates. At the heart of it all will be simplicity and flavour.

“The style of our cooking is always going to be the same so people who know us will know what to expect, it will just be a little stripped back.”

Frerot - French slang for brothers - will be a little different to the other vendors at the Cambridge Street Collective food hall.

Diners will not be able to order via the app, as they can from the other kitchens, and rather than tucking into their meals at the food hall’s communal seating they will be invited to take a pew at Frerot’s counter.

Customers will be able to book, though there will also be a limited number of walk-in places available each day at Frerot, which can accommodate 20-24 diners.

What will be on the menu?

Joseph was not giving too much away about the menu, but he did say it will include the homemade focaccia bread loved by fans of Juke & Loe. He added: “We always have a beef dish, too, generally with a bordelaise sauce.”

Asked how he felt about the fresh venture and being part of the cavernous new food hall, Joseph said: “It’s exciting. It’s something a bit different for us and I think with how things are going this is the way forward.

“We’re very grateful to Matt and Nina for continuing to work with us, and we’re looking forward to welcoming back loyal customers and lots of new ones too.”

When Joseph and Luke announced that Juke & Loe was closing, they said they had taken the ‘extremely difficult’ decision as a combination of rising costs, business rates and the ‘dreaded VAT’ meant the restaurant as it stood was ‘no longer viable’.

Frerot, said Joseph, would be a smaller operation, with fewer staff and fewer overheads, giving them the ‘best chance to succeed’.

‘Hospitality industry needs more support’

He said: “I think the industry isn’t supported enough. There are some restaurants that are still very successful and long may that continue, but I think it’s becoming very, very difficul to operate standalone restaurants.

“I think there’s a lot more that could be done by central and local government to help.

“VAT, for example, is set at a preposterous amount in an in industry which can claim almost zero back.

“And I don’t think there’s enough incentive for people to come into Sheffield city centre or Kelham Island because there’s nowhere to park.

“I think big cities could learn from councils in smaller towns and make parking free as an incentive to make people come in and spend money.

“I don’t think the Clean Air Zone is very sensible either, to be honest. It doesn’t stop people using those roads, it simply levies a tax on them without doing anything to reduce emissions.

“Every time a business in that area gets a delivery now they’re paying more for the produce because of that.”

Sheffield City Council recently said that the Clean Air Zone was working to improve air quality.

Despite his concerns about a lack of support for the hospitality industry, Joseph believes Cambridge Street Collective will be a big hit.

“I think it will be a huge success,” he said. “Matt and Nina are passionate about the industry, and people are excited about the new food hall and want it to do well.”

For enquiries about Frerot, and to make a booking, email: [email protected].