Canadian barbecue comes to West Street

The chef cut his teeth in his father’s bistros around the city, worked at Smoke BBQ, helped set up a steakhouse in Glasgow and more recently was part of the Summerhouse in Dore.

Now he is part of the team heading up the new FirePit BBQ – Smokehouse Bar & Grill, which has been opened by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield Coun Anne Murphy.

Matt, who spent three weeks in Canada touring the country’s finest steak houses, said: “FirePit BBQ is set to take the ‘smoke BBQ’ concept to another level.

“Though Sheffield has a growing number of steak house-style chains, this is going to allow me to truly wow the local audience with ideas I picked up in Canada.”

Restaurant manager Richard Bardsley helped launched Sentinel Brewing and has worked for a nmber of independent and national operators including Revolution and Stonegate.

He said: “At FirePit BBQ first class service will be important as the first class food and drinks on offer.”

General manager Arlindo Gouveia used to lives in the States and has a passion for smoked and barbecue food.

He said: “I’ve one aim in life – to ensure FirePit BBQ becomes the number one destination of its type in the region.”

The restaurant - formerly a chicken takeaway - has been given a £100,000 makeover by White Design and employs 25 staff.

Meats are sourced locally and it was opened to the public on Friday.

Sheffield already has several barbecue restaurants, including Smoke at St Paul’s and Red’s True Barbecue on Ecclesall Road.

The former BBQ Collective at The Hop has closed, to be replaced last week by new bar OHM.