Why does Sheffield STILL not have a Michelin starred restaurant?

If Sheffield was a person, then being too humble would be their downfall.
A pork dish at Jöro.  Picture: Chris EtchellsA pork dish at Jöro.  Picture: Chris Etchells
A pork dish at Jöro. Picture: Chris Etchells

Time and again we hear that the city is just is not good enough at marketing itself.

Perhaps that’s why, when Sheffield was the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, is the home to the world snooker championships, the world’s oldest football club, an incredible independent food and drink scene, top museums, galleries, amazing parks and lies just a few miles from the beauty of the Peak District it still lags behind other cities in terms of tourism.

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Oh, and we are also the “capital of beer”, the country’s biggest theatre complex outside of London, fascinating buildings and incredible artists in all fields.

Brocco on the Park.Brocco on the Park.
Brocco on the Park.

So it simply cannot be because of a lack of attractions, or ambition.

This week the prestigious Michelin Guide for 2021 was revealed. And once again, no Sheffield restaurants received a Michelin star, the Holy Grail for restauranteurs, which signifies a “very good restaurant” in the inspectors’ eyes.

In total 17 restaurants across the country became new one star destinations, and the majority were, as you would expect, in London. Two new stars were given in the north – one in York, and one in Ripon.

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It has now been five years since a Sheffield restaurant held a Michelin star, that was The Old Vicarage, in Ridgeway.

Rafters restaurant owners Alistair Myers (left) and Tom Lawson at the Oakbrook Road eatery.Rafters restaurant owners Alistair Myers (left) and Tom Lawson at the Oakbrook Road eatery.
Rafters restaurant owners Alistair Myers (left) and Tom Lawson at the Oakbrook Road eatery.

The vicarage is still mentioned in the guide, alongside Rafters at Nether Green, Jöro at Kelham Island, Brocco on the Park at Hunters Bar, and Juke and Loe just a few metres away on Ecclesall Road.

They have each received a Michelin Plate recommendation, a sign of very good food, but not even the second best prize of a Bib Gourmand. Why?

Why, when Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, York and Chester, all do? All great cities, and the restaurants obviously deserve recognition, but does Sheffield really have no “very good restaurants” in comparison? In five long years?

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If you want official Michelin starred food then hop on the train to Nottingham, which is apparently your best bet, as it has two now. Birmingham has three. And even Ripon, a charming town but one with a population of less than 20,000, now has one, albeit in a luxurious mansion hotel. Sheffield’s omission from the guide cannot be because of a lack of attractions.

Chef Tessa Bramley's Old Vicarage was the last Sheffield restaurant to hold a Michelin star - five years agoChef Tessa Bramley's Old Vicarage was the last Sheffield restaurant to hold a Michelin star - five years ago
Chef Tessa Bramley's Old Vicarage was the last Sheffield restaurant to hold a Michelin star - five years ago

As a former food writer I know from review experience that the food at Rafters and Jöro is worth travelling to Sheffield for, and many people did do just that prior to lockdown, while Juke and Loe, Brocco on the Park and The Old Vicarage have notched up endless awards between them, just not a star. I was lucky enough to eat at Rafters for my wedding anniversary in between lockdowns in September, the service was impeccable, the wines perfectly matched, the food faultless. To say it was a ‘very good restaurant’ is something of an understatement.

And now at these restaurants the staff have been forced to diversify to survive, turning to takeout or collection services and dealing with the ever changing restrictions due to the pandemic. It would have been easy to give up, but they’ve kept pushing on, and kept their standards too, even launching new ventures.

So this cannot be because of a lack of ambition.

I fear once again Sheffield – and Derbyshire too, for it no longer has a Michelin star to its name – has been overlooked.