Popular Sheffield restaurant closes due to coronavirus - but there's some good news

Alessandro Vergine, who runs NeoMed in Stocksbridge with his wife Lucy, said it ‘couldn’t survive’ and would break even at best under the government’s new guidelines on social distancing in pubs, bars and restaurants, which would have reduced the already-compact restaurant’s capacity by half.

NeoMed, which specialised in using hand-crafted fresh ingredients, had been open for 18 months. Customers will still be able to purchase their bakery products, however, which include award-winning sourdough bread.

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Allesandro and Lucy, who live in Huddersfield, have secured a new business premises on Fox Valley retail park, opposite the fountains between Zorro and Pontis.

The New Bridge Bakery should open by mid-August, Allessandro said, and will provide a permanent base for his parents Greg and Mandy’s bakery stall – The Old Bridge Bakery – which has traded at Fox Valley market every Friday for the last three years.

He said: “We were upset about NeoMed but we’re super excited about the new concept.

“Thank you to the locals for their support, they have been lovely. And to our landlords Dransfield Properties, they have been exceptional.”

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The New Bridge Bakery will sell patisserie, coffee, hot and cold food and hand-made meals to take away as well as smoothies and shakes. Allesandro said the new business model will allow it to remain open in the event of a second lockdown.

Customers will be able to get 10 per cent off during the bakery’s first month of trading.