The Moor Sheffield: Kiosk owner claims to sell cheapest tea and coffee in Sheffield as cost-of-living crisis bites

Donna Maw has run the hut selling drinks, food, cigarettes, lottery tickets and more at the bottom of The Moor in Sheffield city centre for 14 years.

She says rising food and energy costs nationally have left many customers struggling and she is doing her best to help where she can by keeping her prices down and even helping loyal patrons by offering them credit when they are short of cash.

She believes her tea is the cheapest in the city, at 70p a cup, with coffee costing the same amount, while a tea and a scone with jam and cream is a bargain £1.50, making it surely one of the cheapest cream teas nationally.

“I think my cafe’s the cheapest in Sheffield. I like to keep prices down as much as possible because I know everyone’s pocket is being hit at the moment,” says Donna.

“Tea had been 50p and that price hadn’t changed for 13 years but then the price of milk went up three times in a week and our overheads are going up too so I had no choice. I was gutted I had to put the price up but we only use a good brand of coffee and a good brand of tea bags so I still think it’s good value.

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“My customers are being affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Some people instead of coming down three times a week are only coming down once or twice.

‘Customers are being affected by the cost-of-living crisis’

“Some people going to work in the morning tell me they don’t know why they’re bothering as that morning their electricity bill’s gone up by £70. They say they’re going to get a bike because they can’t afford the bus fares anymore.

“People are still buying their cigarettes and their scratchcards but some people are coming less often.”

Donna knows her regulars well and will begin making their drinks before they even place their order. She jokes: “Ask me the date and I haven’t a clue but I know what brand of cigarettes my regulars take and how many sugars they like in their tea.”

She often gives free drinks or leftover hot food away to homeless people and if one of her trusted customers is a bit short of cash she’ll let them pay next time.

“It’s just small gestures but we want to help where we can. If they get flush they tend to show their gratitude by buying us a bunch of flowers or something similar,” she says.

She also prides herself on looking out for her customers who might need someone to talk to.

“We get a lot of OAPs who like to sit and have a natter, and if they’re on their own and it’s not too busy I go out and have a natter with them,” she explains.

Donna says Sheffield city centre is still quiter than before the Covid pandemic but it is getting busier and she hopes things will pick up further when Sports Direct opens at the bottom of The Moor soon.

And the 63-year-old, who worked throughout the pandemic at the kiosk, which is open from 6am-6pm Monday to Saturday, says she has no plans to retire just yet.