Cambridge Street Collective continues to welcome people to Sheffield a year after opening

I’ve been to Sheffield many times, though always with others - and if I’m being honest, those nights usually started and ended at West Street Live.

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But as of last week the Steel City has become my ‘home away from home’ as I picked up a new job right in the heart of this northern gem.

It’s safe to say that the first day was pretty daunting, navigating trams and finding my way around streets that look very different in the day time.

So when my lunch hour came I wandered aimlessly, stumbled across a protest, and following recommendations from a colleague found myself eating in Cambridge Street Collective.

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Europe’s largest purpose-built food hall lets you taste delicacies from every continent, and for more adventurous eaters there are many exciting options, with some dishes I’d never even heard of.

I however am a man of simple tastes, and curries call to me in a way I can’t resist.

Zaika E Pakistan offers a good selection of dishes from the region and some good meal deals to boot.

Taking a book with me - most of my lunches are spent reading - I got comfy and enjoyed a truly delicious meal in one of the city’s most unique spaces.

It’s easy to see why these modern food halls have become so popular in recent years, with the rise of similar venues like Cutlery Works and the recently rebranded Department.

They’re comfortable and welcoming, with a good variety that pleases just about everyone.

As someone with many vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian friends, finding a place to eat that matches all of our appetites can be a challenge - yet with somewhere like this, that concern washes away.

However price stands as the main issue for me, personally - a meal comes closer to restaurant prices than what you’d expect for ‘street food’.

And in a way this does make sense, despite the name these vendors are all running their own fully-functioning mini restaurants, with teams of multiple people.

It’s by no means a small operation, but the cost might deter a lot of people out looking for a nice meal for their lunch.

As such Cambridge Street Collective might be viewed by some as more of a treat, an exciting option well worth a try for anyone visiting the city, rather than daily stop, which is a shame with everything it has to offer under one roof.

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