The cost-of-living crisis has already claimed numerous casualties, including some of the city’s best-loved shops, cafes and restaurants, with many more business owners struggling to stay afloat. As we pray for better times around the corner, we take a look at some of Sheffield’s longest running and most cherished companies, which have stood the test of time and overcome countless challenges to survive for generations.
We’d love to hear your memories of these Sheffield institutions, and any suggestions of businesses we’ve missed off our list.
5. Beres
The debate over Sheffield's best hot pork sandwich is a hotly contested one but Beres always features prominently in the conversation. It was founded by Eileen Béres and her late husband Sandor, pictured, who opened their first shop together in 1961. The family business went on to become a Sheffield institution and now has more than a dozen branches across the city. Photo: submitted
6. Granelli's
Granelli's is one of the country's oldest sweet shops, which has been giving contented customers their sugar fix since 1874. It started life as an ice cream shop founded by two brothers who came to the city from Italy in the 1870s but later expanded to sell sweets. It still sells a huge range of sweets as well as serving ice cream at its long-standing shop on Broad Street, just outside the city. Pictured are staff at the Granelli's stall in Sheffield's old Sheaf Market in August 1985. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
7. Forgemasters
Sheffield is probably still most famous for producing the metal which saw it branded the Steel City. While the demise of the city's steel industry in the face of fierce international competition has been well-documented, Sheffield Forgemasters International is still going strong. Its website describes how the firm's origins date back to the 1750s as a small blacksmith forge. George Naylor set up the foundations for the business as a commercial operation with the building of the Millsands Steelworks in 1805. His son in law, Edward Vickers, later joined forces with him to form Naylor Vickers and Co. The company has since been associated with many of the industry's most famous names such as English Steel, Firth Brown, British Steel and River Don Castings. Today, the firm proudly boasts, it is 'capable of producing the largest and most technically challenging cast and forged steel components in the world'. Photo: Simon Hulme
8. Two Steps
Two Steps, on Sheffield's Sharrow Vale Road, claims to be Yorkshire's oldest fish and chip shop, serving up fried suppers since 1895. Over the years it has won praise from the likes of the Guardian and The Times newspapers, and singer Tony Christie famously posed outside for the sleeve of his 2008 album Made In Sheffield. Photo: JPIMedia