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The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals

Tom Roper

Our Favourite Places would be nothing without our contributors — a massive thanks to all of them!

Tell us about you…
I moved to Sheffield from Norfolk to study. Like most people, I fell in love with the city and didn’t want to leave; now I work at the University of Sheffield.

I enjoy making music, doing pub quizzes, playing cricket and watching documentaries.

What does Sheffield mean to you?
To me, Sheffield means having the opportunity to be creative. It has a great DIY culture where people who want to make things or start new projects can.

What’s your favourite Sheffield place?
There are so many! I’m lucky enough to live next to Two Steps fish and chip shop on Sharrow Vale Road which makes it a real challenge to not eat their delicious, well priced, generously portioned food every single day. In a similar, but slightly healthier vein, I love Blue Moon Cafe next to the Cathedral – it serves great vegetarian food at a low price and you get loads on your plate!

Bear Tree Records is my favourite new shop in Sheffield, Joe gets some great stuff in so it’s always worth a visit. Likewise, the Showroom always has something interesting to watch and is a great place to go for a cosy evening. My favourite places to go for a drink are the Sheffield Tap next to the train station, the Sheaf View in Heeley, and Picture House Social on Abbeydale Road.

What would you do to improve the city?
I’d ban the needless demolition of buildings and encourage renovation of all the beautiful empty spaces.

Latest contributions

The Hanging Stars

Sun. 13 December 2026

Yellow Arch Studios

Drawing influence from The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub and Big Star, London's Hanging Stars make music full of chiming guitars, four-part harmonies and irresistible melodies. Expect sun-drenched psychedelic folk and beautifully crafted rock songs.

Lacross Club

Sun. 6 December 2026

The Washington

Welsh punk band Lacross Club play stupid-on-purpose, gloriously unsubtle, dumb rock-n-roll. Their psychobilly infused garage rock is a vehicle for tales about the pub, beer and hangovers. “My head is poundin’, I spent a hundred pounds in a pub.”

Adam Hopper & The Wimps

Sat. 28 November 2026

Delicious Clam

Sheffield based Adam Hopper and his band play a blend of mellow alternative pop and anti-folk. Drawing inspiration from 70s art-rock, 90s lo-fi and Americana, their sound moves from intimate folk passages to weirder, psych-inspired freak-outs.

The Zawose Queens

Fri. 13 November 2026

Firth Hall

Pendo and Leah Zawose, two women from a famous Tanzanian musical family, take their place as lead vocalists and performers. Their music is rooted in traditional singing and instrumentation, with contemporary touches of leftfield pop and synth-funk.