Sheffield has lost several long-running and much-loved businesses in recent years, from butchers to manufacturers.
But there are many popular firms in the city which have survived for generations and are still going strong, having survived recessions, world wars and more recently the double whammy of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.
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These are some of Sheffield’s oldest businesses which are still running, including Henderson’s Relish, where the recipe remains a closely guarded secret; Atkinsons, which is now the city centre’s last surviving department store; and Granelli’s, which is one of the nation’s oldest sweet shops.
We’d love to hear your memories of these Sheffield institutions, and any suggestions of businesses we’ve missed off our list.
9. Rails of Sheffield
Launched in 1970 by Hedley Barber in the back of a grocery shop, Rails of Sheffield is still going strong more than half a century later. Now run by Hedley's son and grandchildren, the family firm based at a large shop on Chesterfield Road, Heeley, last year announced it was building its own warehouse in Dronfield and creating 20 jobs after borrowing £1 million to invest in its growth. Famous customers include the musician and presenter Jools Holland, who posed outside the shop during a recent visit. Pictured are John Barber and Charlotte Faulkner with some of the model trains stocked at Rails of Sheffield. Photo: Gerard Binks
10. Atkinsons
Sheffield city centre's last surviving department store, following the demise of Debenhams and the departure of John Lewis, Atkinsons celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. It was founded by John Atkinson, who worked for Cole Brothers before opening his own drapery store in what is now The Moor in 1872. The business, which survived a direct hit by the Lutfwaffe during the Blitz, has adapted to serve generations of shoppers. Atkinsons famously had its own zoo during the 1930s, from which a crocodile once escaped before being found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft, but the wildlife there is today limited to its much-loved Muffin the Mule ride and the musical reindeer which entertain customers at Christmas. Photo: DEAN ATKINS
11. Béres
The debate over Sheffield's best hot pork sandwich is a hotly contested one but Béres always features prominently in the conversation. It was founded by Eileen Béres and her late husband Sandor, pictured, who opened their first shop together in 1961. The family business went on to become a Sheffield institution and now has more than a dozen branches across the city. Béres today has 14 shops across the city, between them selling a million pork sandwiches a year and many other baked goods It is now run by Eileen and Sandor's children, Richard, Catherine and Helen. Photo: submitted
12. Old Queens Head
The Old Queens Head, on Pond Street near Sheffield bus station, is the city's oldest residential building, dating back to 1475. The Grade II-listed building was a hunting lodge for the Earl of Shrewsbury before becoming an inn in the 1600s. The pub takes its name from Mary Queen of Scots, who was held captive in Sheffield for 14 years before her execution. It has had a number of owners over the years but is still going strong after all these years. Photo: Dean Atkins