Sheffield

Sheffield restaurant ‘delighted’ after being listed on The Good Food Guide just four weeks after opening

What an achievement.

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 18th May 2026

Just one month after opening, Trattoria Maria in Sheffield city centre has made it onto the coveted Good Food Guide.

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.

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.

Images: The Sheff

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

But it's not just us who think so, as Maria has got the attention of The Good Food Guide - an established guide to the very best pubs, cafes and restaurants across the UK.

Getting a spot on the guide just four weeks after opening is truly an impressive feat, here's what the guide had to say about Maria: "The quaint name (and Nonna namesake) contrasts the very urban setting of this new arrival from the team behind beloved Bench.

Images: The Sheff

"On a particularly uncharacterful street in Sheffield's 'Heart of the City' development, the exterior is all flat walls and fogged windows, while inside it's one big room which gets buzzy and loud of a weekend evening.

"There are real gems to be found among the antipasti - stracciatella and caponata with very soft focaccia for dunking or superb saffron and cuttlefish ragu arancini - while the southern Italian sunshine dominates the pastas and secondi."

Announcing the news to Instagram, Maria said: "we are delighted to announce, after just four weeks, we have been listed in the good food guide.

"we are super proud of the whole team for this achievement after such short period of time. congratulations to you all."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, congratulations Maria and the team - an accolade very much deserved.

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

Featured image - The Sheff

Sheffield

The Yorkshire designer who’s put together the official FIFA World Cup scarf collection

Danny Jones Danny Jones Official FIFA World Cup scarf collection 2026

A Yorkshire-born and bred artist and his creative team have earned the huge honour of creating the official FIFA scarf collection for this year's World Cup.

Nothing short of massive for anyone from our part of the world.

The local legend in question is Tom Pitts, who was born in Sheffield and is now based just beyond Leeds, leading the campaign right from the helm.

Hand Drawn Pixels is a graphic design and digital studio based in Otley, and while you'll see plenty of folks wearing football shirts and even the odd scarf on the town's famous pub crawl, these lot are venturing on an entirely different kind of run this summer.

Credit: Hand Drawn Pixels (supplied)

In fact, the work has very much already started, with Tom and co. collaborating directly with FIFA and US manufacturers, Global Scarves, to create the World Cup collection.

With this year's tournament obviously taking place across America, Mexico and Canada, they've joined up with a big LLC, but they describe themselves as "a true English custom scarf company with American parents."

In their words, "We knit scarves for clients all over the world", with a presence both near Leeds and over in Seattle, Washington.

The fixtures themselves kick off next month (England's first game coming against Croatia on 17 June), and so Hand Drawn Pixels have been hard at work meeting the briefs for each of the nations taking part.

Here's a quick breakdown of how the opportunity came about, their vision for the project, and how everything starts for them as a whole process.

You can see more of their work HERE, but as the brand name would suggest, it's pretty simple to begin with: nothing more than a pencil.

It's worth noting that the 2026 World Cup also featured the largest number of teams in the competition's history: 48 qualified national squads, to be exact. So, technically, they've had even more designing to do than they theoretically would have in any of the previous years, too.

Tom confessed that winning this bid is obviously a big deal on its own and that seeing his creations being worn in person by supporters at the stadiums will be a "surreal" experience.

Speaking exclusively with The Hoot, he said: "It’s been an amazing creative challenge for us to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf."

He went on to add that "the whole project has been a huge learning experience, gaining deeper cultural insight into every nation involved."

More than 4.5 million fans have already entered the ballot for match tickets, and there have already been warnings issued over potential scam seats for World Cup '26.

We can't wait to cast eyes upon a sea of colour and finely crafted fabric in unique but somehow universally familiar patterns, all designed right here in 'God's Own Country'.

world cup scarves 2026
Credit: Supplied

Read more:

Featured Images — Hand Drawn Pixels (supplied)

Sheffield

Sheffield Food Festival to return this month celebrating 15th year in the city

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

One of the city's best foodie events is gearing up for its best celebration yet.

Foodies, you're going to want to keep reading.

Sheffield Food Festival will return this late May Bank Holiday Weekend, from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 May 2026.

The festival marks its 15th anniversary, so you can expect a celebration of all things food even bigger and better than ever before.

Image: Sheffield Food Festival

From local favourites to tastes from around the world, local vendors will be coming together to raise a knife and fork to Sheffield's incredible independent food scene.

The best part? It's completely free to attend and will feature over 60 different traders that are all based locally.

Sheffield Food Festival will take place in the city centre across the Peace Gardens, Millennium Square, Town Hall Square and Winter Garden.

The festival will include four key areas to visit, including the traditional street food area, an artisan market, a community hub and the main stage and bar.

Image: Sheffield Food Festival

Managing director at Swan Events, Noemi Antonelli, said: “From foodies to families, there’s something for everyone – and we’re proud to showcase the best of Sheffield’s vibrant food culture.

"This year feels especially exciting as the festival grows beyond its footprint, with other city centre locations joining the celebrations with their own activities – creating a real buzz across the city and making it a truly shared Sheffield experience.”

So grab your mates together, build up an appetite and have a taste of the incredible food that Sheffield has to offer.

To find out more, take a look at Sheffield Food Festival's website.

Read more:

Featured image - Sheffield Food Festival


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