The Sheff

Inside Sheffield’s newest Italian trattoria from the team behind The Pearl and Bench

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 20th March 2026

The talented team behind two of Sheffield's best eateries have opened a restaurant in the city centre.

And it'll come as no surprise to you that it's absolutely class.

When it was announced last year that the masterminds behind Bench and The Pearl, two award-winning Sheffield venues, were setting their sights on opening an Italian trattoria in the city centre we couldn't believe our luck.

Maria, located on Wellington Street in the new heart of the city development, is a homage to owner Ronnie's grandmother and a nod to his southern Italian heritage.

Images: The Sheff

It's a space unlike anything in the city, a small but perfectly-formed space complete with counter dining where you can watch the magic happen.

And magic really is happening, because the food is nothing short of brilliant.

They're cooking up Sicilian-inspired dishes made using Yorkshire produce, like the tortellini in brodo with Yorkshire ham from Swaledale Butchers in Skipton.

Images: The Sheff

They're making their own focaccia daily, in fact our portion was cooked just twenty minutes prior to it being served to us, still steaming and utterly delicious.

There's a special selection of 'before you wait' cocktails on the list, with £5 negronis and dirty martinis that remain that price throughout the day. This is something more restaurants need to be doing, please.

You could come here and get a glass of wine and a bowl of pasta on your lunch break, or you could get comfy and indulge in three or four courses with a few cocktails. Either way, you'll be leaving very happy.

Images: The Sheff

This is elevated dining in a cosy, neighbourhood setting. Even the tiny touches have been thought of, including tiny bowls of Maldon salt on each table in case you need an extra sprinkling.

They're yet to open their bookings due to awaiting approval from the council, but for now you can pop by Maria to sample their preview menu and they'll welcome you in with open arms.

Keep an eye on their opening date here.

Read more: Sheffield amongst nine areas to be long listed for UK City of Culture 2029

Featured image - The Sheff

The Sheff

Sheffield amongst nine areas to be long listed for UK City of Culture 2029

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

It's big news for Sheffield as the city has officially been long listed to become the UK City of Culture in 2029.

It’s one of just nine places across the country to make the cut, alongside the likes of Blackpool, Portsmouth and Wrexham.

Winning the title could bring huge investment to Sheffield, thousands of visitors, and a massive spotlight on everything that makes our city special - and let’s be honest, Sheffield’s got plenty to shout about.

From music and film to art and grassroots creativity, culture runs right through this city, and it would be a huge achievement to receive this title.

So, what happens now? Each arena will now receive £60,000 to develop a full application with the aim to build a vibrant cultural programme by 2028.

The nine confirmed long listed locations are: Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.

"I look forward to seeing what the nine long listed places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people."

Go on Sheffield, we're rooting for you big time. We can't think of a city more worthy.

Read more: Public transport across South Yorkshire to be rebranded as the South Yorkshire People’s Network

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The Sheff

TV presenter’s rant pointing out double-standard over Sheffield Wednesday punishment goes viral

Danny Jones Danny Jones

A TV presenter and Sheffield Wednesday supporter's speech about the perceived double standard concerning another pending points deduction at her club compared to the punishment of Premier League clubs is trending online.

Many believe she's pretty bang on the money, to be fair.

Wednesdayite Sophy Ridge, who hosts a regular Sky News show with fellow presenter Wilfred Frost, recently took the opportunity to indulge in some understandable fan frustration during a show this week.

Admittedly, getting on her soapbox a bit - and for good reason - the Richmond-born Owls fan simply shed light on the contradictory nature of Sheffield Wednesday's penalty set for the next season over financial violations when compared to top-flight offenders.

Citing both Manchester City (with their estimated 115-130 charges still no closer to being resolved) and now Chelsea as being the most recently accused of breaking regulations, she argued that there's a significant difference between penalties teams are being slapped with - or in some cases, still avoiding.

For instance, while the Man City saga first broke back in February 2023 and relates to alleged breaches dating all the way back to 2009, they are yet to be confirmed as guilty, at least not in any public announcement.

As for the West London club, Chelsea have only just been hit with a fine, albeit a Premier League record sum of approximately £10.75 million, as well as a 12-month transfer ban, though it has already been suspended for two years.

This is due to them having made undisclosed payments to agents, players and various other individuals during the Roman Abramovich ownership era.

Meanwhile, for anyone who hasn't been following the huge furore among the long-suffering Sheffield fanbase, Wednesday fans, players, and footballing staff are the ones being penalised for what many believe is nothing more than 'improper' and 'irresponsible' management of the club at an executive level.

For context, they are currently set to start the next 2026/27 campaign in the EFL's third tier with a 15-point handicap, which could very well spell yet another disaster year, with Ridge adding: "How attractive is that [a club sale] going to be for an owner that might be looking at back-to-back relegations?"

https://thehootleeds.com/the-sheff/sheffield-wednesday-could-be-set-for-a-starting-points-deduction-next-season/

Sadly, it seems that its matchgoers and other die-hards are the ones set to pay the price this time, as they often have been; according to the sports journalist, that's often the case further down the pyramid.

For instance, Todd Boehly's Chelsea organisation seem to have been let off the hook regarding any setback in the standings due to their cooperation with the profit and sustainability (PSR) investigation, and because their offence pre-dates the modern PSR guidelines era.

In fact, Chelsea were actually said to have voluntarily reported themselves regarding historic offences within youth football, which also seems to have afforded them some leniency.

Put simply, she believes it's unfair for the soon-to-be League One side to face such harsh terms and a fee just a few million shy of the figure they've been told they 'must' pay outgoing owners, Dejphon Chansiri, while Chelsea face "no sanctions despite the fact this [illegal spending] clearly would have given them a sporting advantage" in the past.

What do you make of the whole saga, and do you think there's a difference in how so-called 'bigger' clubs are treated compared to those in lower divisions?

Read more:

Featured Images — Sky News (screenshot)/Daniel Bagshaw (via Wikimedia Commons)

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