Exciting Developments in Hillsborough’s Burgeoning Indie Scene

Hillsborough has long had its own distinct shopping district, with lots of familiar high street names across Hillsborough Barracks, the Hillsborough Exchange shopping centre and the streets in between. It’s also home to a fair few well-established family businesses too, but over the last year (and despite the pandemic) the area has also started to see an influx of exciting new independent businesses.

It's this fast-growing community of friendly new indie businesses, which is starting to bring a fresher feel and reinvigorate Hillsborough, attracting new visitors to this once overlooked part of the city.

Middlewood Road in particular has become a bit of a hotspot, where Pangolin Craft Beer, Bricks and Bits Toy Shop, Molly’s Café Deli, Purple Pumpkin and Curo Gallery, not to be confused with long-established and well respected, Cupola Gallery, are just some of the places you can peruse, close to Hillsborough Park.

Not far away The Green Shop sells an array of wares from a host local of makers and complements this with a well-stocked craft beer shop, that doubles as a showcase for the Sheffield brewing scene. Adopting a similar ethos, Annie Jude’s is a new gift shop which presents a special hand-picked showcase of local products from across Sheffield, which has just opened on Middlewood Road, while The Blind Mole have also recently relocated from Kelham Island, to open an antiques warehouse in The Old Chapel on Loxley Road.

In addition to Molly’s Café Deli and Pangolin Craft Beer, there are also some great indie places to grab a bite to eat/drink, with The Orange Bird, Ayla’s Breakfast House, Coffee Boo, ChocoLatte and of course, The Hillsborough Tap just a few to mention.

What’s more, businesses in the area are starting to join forces to promote the area with the formation of Hillsborough Together Traders Association. It’s this collaborative working which has seen the development of several initiatives in the run-up to Christmas, with a Lego Bear Trail as featured in the Sheffield Telegraph, the first Christmas Lights to go up in Hillsborough for 25 Years and a festive window dressing competition.

Hillsborough was also one of the successful district centres to submit a bid and be awarded funding from the Economic Recovery Fund, which will see £200,000 invested in the area and support a range of activity to attract more visitors.

With the proximity the Hillsborough Park, which is also getting new facilities including a new Age UK Café opening in The Old Coach House and will be operated by Depot Bakery, and the start of the popular Rivelin Valley Trail, along with nearby attractions such as Owlerton Stadium and of course, the Sheffield Wednesday football ground-  there’s lots of opportunity for Hillsborough to enhance its destination offer even further and it seems things are just getting started!

Any Hillsborough businesses wishing to get involved and join the Hillsborough Together Traders Association will have the perfect opportunity to do so, at their first official meeting, taking place on Tuesday 14 December at Owlerton Stadium.

This initial get-together for local businesses, offers the chance to learn more about the vision of the group, discuss the proposed activities/developments for 2022 and share further ideas. If you run a business in Hillsborough and would like to attend, please contact Roger Smith: roger@groundedshopper.com.