Plans announced for huge new Sheffield city centre food hall featuring rooftop bars, theatrical cookery school and live demonstrations

The Cambridge Street Collective is envisaged as a culturally diverse food destination that will form part of the multi-million pound Heart of the City programme aimed at regenerating the centre of Sheffield.

Project leaders say it will feature rooftop bars and ‘some of the best independent food and drink companies Sheffield has to offer, along with a theatrical cookery school with a seating area for live demonstrations and masterclasses’ that will ‘bring an entirely fresh dynamic to the city’s food scene.’

The development is currently under construction on the corner between Cambridge Street and Wellington Street in the city centre, with the fit out due to start in July before an expected public opening this Autumn. It will be run by the company behind some of Sheffield’s favourite food venues, Blend Family (previously The Milestone Group).

Blend – founded by Matt Bigland and managed with his wife and business partner Nina Patel Bigland – also runs the popular Cutlery Works in Kelham Island.

Matt said: “Cambridge Street Collective will be a 27,000 sq ft food hall set over three floors, encompassing over 24 kitchens, cookery school, bakery, and a mix of traditional, Asian and rooftop bars.

“This venture will reinvigorate the city centre. With Cutlery Works, we found a niche in the market that allowed traders to test products and lean on bigger footfalls without taking a traditional 15-year lease and having to put their life savings on the line.

“It took time to curate the perfect selection of Kitchens. We needed to build trust with different communities and explain that we wanted their traditional, authentic cooking. We’ve never wanted bland or deep-fried food, we always wanted granny’s best recipes.”

Matt and his team believe the time has come for Sheffield to ‘be braver with its food offer’ and wants Cambridge Street Collective to embrace the diversity the city has to offer.

He said: “The diversity in the city centre is different than it used to be. There’s a huge Asian market for example. Sheffield is hugely multicultural and everyone gets along, but when it comes to food, the city still plays it safe.

“That’s where we come in. We want to bridge the gap and allow a varied mix of people to come in, without fear, to try new things. We want to remove the barriers that may come with going to a traditional restaurant and not knowing what questions to ask.

“We also want the food hall to be a platform for new talent. We already run a programme called Future Food Stars, where we look for unique foodie entrepreneurs and provide them with somewhere to run their business and develop their brand.

“We’re looking for those people who are creating amazing food but don’t have any means to share it. It’s very in keeping with the spirit of Sheffield. The city looks after its own and that’s what we want to showcase.

“Cambridge Street will challenge people and move them out of their comfort zone with various unique independent vendors. There’s going to be loads of choice and even some theatre.

“In our top floor, along with a rooftop bar, we want to offer experiential dining. We’re aiming to bring in things that I’ve seen in China, it’ll be a bit like glamping with barbeques, hotpot and dim sum, and it’ll be fun. Families will love it. Kids will love it. It will be very social.”

Cambridge Street Collective, along with the neighbouring Leah’s Yard and Bethel Chapel developments, is seen as Heart of the City’s cultural and social focal point.

Sean McClean, director of regeneration and development at Sheffield City Council, said: “Heart of the City is making fantastic progress and we’re moving towards the business end of the construction programme. Visitors to the city centre can now see the significant mix of quality new buildings and diverse offers all coming together at pace.

“Sitting so close to Pound’s Park, which has been a hugely popular addition, Cambridge Street Collective will bring something fresh and exciting to Sheffield’s food and drink scene and provide a new hub of activity for the city centre – one that not only provides more customer choice, but can also help all new and existing businesses thrive as well.”

Alex Hyams, senior asset & leasing manager, at Queensberry – the council’s strategic development partner, added: “Cambridge Street Collective will bring a critical mass of footfall back into Sheffield City Centre.

“With the expertise of Blend Family and a truly stunning venue built on Sheffield’s heritage, it will become a diverse and inspiring destination for socialising and relaxing with families and friends. It will be a place where people can interact, relax, share experiences, chat, eat and drink, all while supporting opportunities for the best local talent to experiment and grow.”

The Heart of the City scheme will create 1.5 million sq ft of individually designed and repurposed buildings for office, retail, residential and leisure use in the city centre. The project is expected to create around 500 construction jobs and the scheme should support between 5,500 and 7,000 jobs once completed.