Herd Woodseats: Licensed food court and music venue offers something new to Sheffield suburb

Herd first opened its doors to the public in January as a cafe, but this month it has taken Woodseats by storm after unveiling its full renovation and its new host of food and drink vendors.

Sat on Holmhirst Road, the licensed venue has already held two packed Woodseats Live events, with many more to come.

Formerly owned by an engineering firm, the derelict building is said to have stood empty for up to 30 years. Now after six months of renovation costing around £70,000, the Herd team has transformed it into a timeless and trendy venue, with exposed pipework and rustic signs, and created more than a dozen jobs.

Herd now offers a family - and dog - friendly daytime venue for breakfast and lunches, and a casual dining area for friends and couples in the evenings. With a capacity of up to 120 people, it will also host an ‘eclectic mix’ of regular live music events, from jazz and blues to Ibiza bangers.

A spokesman said: “We’re offering Woodseats and the surrounding areas a new experience. This is different in terms of size, look, ambience and offering that we can give. It changes throughout the day - the crowd changes, the layout changes, the menu changes - it turns from a cafe to a bar.

“Woodseats has such a caring community. I can only be extremely positive about the community, from encouraging comments, to offering advice, to support in terms of custom. We’re absolutely committed to making sure it’s not a honeymoon period and that we sustain it and grow it.”

Inside are four food and drinks vendors: No Forks Given, Baaa, Herd Cocktail, and Sup Wi Thee coffee shop, serving breakfast items, sandwiches and cakes. An open upstairs stage area has been created to accommodate solo artists and small bands, and there is even the opportunity to get a fresh trim at Shigg Barbershop, run by Sam Higgins.

No Forks Given is a new business set up by Kyle Todd and Alex Jones, both former employees at Nonna's in Chesterfield. Kyle said the response to their new venture has been ‘incredible’.

“We had an idea it would be successful but it’s completely exceeded our expectation,” Kyle said.

Herd is also welcoming any music artists to get in contact with them to book a gig. A spokesman said: “We want to support all up and coming artists. We will also be holding open mic nights where people can make a fool of themselves or sing that song they have been practising all their lives.”

Herd is open seven days a week from 9am to late. Its website is currently under development. To register your interest in performing at Herd, please contact the team via their Facebook or Instagram, or email: [email protected]