New family friendly cafe 'hops' on to Ecclesall Road

Hopper has jusr launched on Ecclesall Road, in a new unit at the corner of Neill Road, near Hunters Bar roundabout.

Owner Ria Smedley, who launched the new business earlier this month, along with business partner Hugh Smith, said: “The food we serve is all day café style with lots of brunch dishes served through the day.

“We then have larger plates and bowls that we serve from lunchtime and into the evenings at weekends, along with some wonderful wine and cocktails.

“We have locally roasted coffee, from Roastology out in Tinsley, and do a lot of our own baking – the brownies are a speciality, so be sure to call in and give them a try!

“One of our favourite dishes, that is already going down a storm is shakshuka – which is a middle Eastern Egg dish ideal for brunch.

“Pancakes and the cheese-and-chilli toastie have definitely been popular already too, so we have a good variety.

“We also have lots of veggie and vegan items on the menu, so there really is something for everyone.”

Ria and Hugh have both worked in hospitality since their teenage years, working together at The Forum, on Devonshire Street, in the late 1990s.

Ria added: “My background is in coffee - in particular I worked for ten years with Caffe Nero, so having fantastic coffee on offer was always going to be really important.

“Hugh has worked as a chef for most of his career - one of his first jobs was at Nonnas, the Italian restaurant on Ecclesall Road, where he stayed for seven years, and he’s also spent time cooking in both Edinburgh and Liverpool.

“The design of our new Hopper café is modern and relaxed.

“We want Hopper to be a place where everyone feels welcomed.

“We are local to the area ourselves, and definitely want to be a part of the neighbourhood, so we hope to see lots of new faces stopping in who will go on to become regulars.

“We like children, so families are always welcome at Hopper, and we are dog friendly too.”

Hopper is the latest addition to Ecclesall Road’s food and drink scene.

On the other side of the city, a tasting event will launch a new Yorkshire made cheese.

Ecclesfield’s Morrisons supermarket is hosting the tasting for The Yorkshire Creamery tomorrow, Friday November 22, from 11am until 5pm with the chance of winning a year’s supply of the cheese.