Owners of Harry Potter themed tea room in Sheffield urge people to visit as cancellations leave them on verge of closure

The Steel Cauldron - a wizarding themed tea-room and family experience, opened in Broomhill on July 31 last year and is now on the verge of closure.

It is suffering due to an increase in cancellations, with people needing to isolate or testing positive for coronavirus – and without new bookings, owners might be forced to close its doors for good.

In its first month of being open, it had over 3,000 bookings, but, like many independent businesses across the city, it faced seven months of closure after two coronavirus lockdowns forced it to shut its doors.

The team at Steel Cauldron said: “It is now nearly 2 months since we were able to reopen after the lockdown, and they have been the toughest couple of months for us personally and as a business. We are getting so many cancellations due to people needing to isolate that we are really struggling to keep the doors open from 9.30 am to 11 pm every day, and indeed if things don't pick up, we might not be able to open at all.

“We want to provide loads of amazing things for people to do, and our over 500 5* reviews suggest that our team are doing a pretty good job, but we need to know people are coming, so we can rota cooks, cleaners, magicians, bar staff etc.

“The problem is that bookings have just dropped off the face of a cliff. If you are thinking of visiting the Steel Cauldron, then PLEASE, PLEASE do. Go to our website and check out all the things we do, From Wizard School to music nights, there really is something for everyone.”

They continued, saying: “If you are worried that we will be too full, this simply is not the case. The only time we are getting even close to full is on Saturday lunchtimes, apart from that, it is really quiet.

“As a small, family business that got no bounce back loans and very limited grants to get us through the lockdowns, we simply must have a good summer, and at the moment, the numbers are incredibly low.”

The bar and tearoom is the absolute dream for Harry Potter fans, with visitors able to try wizard tea, filled cauldrons and a selection of cakes.

Visitors can get the complete experience and stay in their wizard themed apartment called "The Steel Wizards Rest".

Owners Rob Downham and his wife Nikki are now urging people across the city to visit their venue in a bid to keep the business afloat.

They said: “We will get through this, we are doing a great thing to bring a bit of magic to Sheffield but we desperately need your help. Please spread the word far and wide; the Steel Cauldron is a safe place to visit. We want to bring a bit of happiness to your lives.

“If you need to cancel for any reason, we will hold your deposit until you are able to visit. You are risking nothing by booking, but every single booking makes a huge difference to us right now.”

For more information and to book, visit www.thesteelcauldron.co.uk/