'It’s also about the joy of being together': Popular Sheffield cafe Elm set to open new restaurant in evenings

Elm, on Glossop Road - just a stone’s throw away from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital - is a truly unique and quirky spot.

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With vinyl records playing throughout the day and a selection of wines and coffees - the latter of which is provided by Field Day Roasters in Penistone - twin co-owners Nik and Jon Daughtry have managed to create an atmospheric venue right in the heart of the city.

And now they plan on taking their passion project further, as with the help of professional chef Nathan Hall they are set to turn the space into an evening restaurant.

“We’ve been doing something called bistro pop for the last 12 months or so,” Nik told The Star.

“Once a month we’d have a guest chef come along and that’s when we were introduced to Nathan.

“It was clear from the start that what Nathan was producing was just of an incredible quality, using locally-sourced products and it sort of just aligned with what we were doing here in the daytime.

“There was just this kind of friendship and mutual love of what we were doing - so after a conversation where Nathan said he was looking for a restaurant opportunity we said that we were more than happy to collaborate and open up for him in the evenings.”

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Regulars of the daytime cafe don’t have to worry, as this upcoming restaurant - which is set to open on April 25 - will not affect any of the services customers are used to.

Once the cafe closes at 3.30pm, staff will be hard at work and on Wednesday to Saturday at 5.30pm the venue will reopen as a restaurant.

Customers will be treated to monthly-changing, set menus of four or seven courses, with options available for vegetarians, vegans and those with allergies.

And while the hospitality sector continues to face troubles in a post-pandemic world, Nik says that he’s ‘excited’ for this new venture.

“We’re excited - because the last bistro pop was only a month ago the transition has been pretty simple,” he added.

“The industry is kind of struggling, with the cost of everything going up, but we’re fortunate that we already have this space.

“One of the biggest expenses when people are starting new businesses is finding a location - we’ve already got that sorted so it makes sense to expand.

“In the day we’ve got this cosy, friendly kind of vibe - with the evening food we’re going to continue that

“It’s not too fine dining - the food quality is exceptional, but it’s also about the joy of being together and having fun.”

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