Exposed arrives at Barks Wine during the Great Sheffield Heatwave of ’26 and, for a brief moment, we could’ve sworn we’d landed in a Lisbon square or a trendy corner of Bordeaux. Their sun-soaked terrace overlooks the crowds tucking into lunch outside Cambridge Street Collective, while Pound’s Park adds a welcome splash of greenery to the right. All around, glasses clink with Vinho Verdes, Chenin Blancs and all manner of delicious grapey goodness from across the globe.
It’s moments like these where you pause and think to yourself, “Just when did Sheffield get this cool?”
After quickly outgrowing its original ‘Baby Barks’ unit in Leah’s Yard, owner Charles Cornelius took on a larger space in the same development, which opened back in April.
Even by his own admission, it was a big move. “Five times the size, you know, it’s a risk no matter which way you put it. I’ve got practically no business experience at all. To be quite honest, I opened up Barks pretty much on a whim.”
That opportunity first presented itself in early 2025. After being made redundant from a job selling spirits, Charles was tipped off about a vacant unit in the yard. He did his research and one thing stood out immediately.
“There were no wine shops in the city centre, but wine culture was on the up” he explains. “It persuaded me to make the move and open Baby Barks in April last year.”
The timing couldn’t have been much better. A strong first summer and the addition of more outdoor seating at Leah’s Yard helped turn curious passers-by into regular visitors, with Barks building a loyal following that now feels less like a specialist retailer and more like a friendly neighbourhood local.
In fact, someone recently described it as “a wine pub” – a label Charles is more than happy to embrace.
“I really love that description. Everyone talks about making wine accessible or demystifying it, and there are always going to be some barriers, but we just like providing a space for people to come and enjoy wine as they see fit. We’ve built a really lovely community in the process.
“You can come here and get a £5 glass or spend £20 on a glass. We’ve got £12 bottles and £60–£70 bottles. Moving into a bigger Barks allowed me to expand both sides – the more affordable end and the more premium stuff.”
That broad, welcoming approach feels like one of the reasons Barks has become such a fixture in the city’s growing wine scene. Whether you’re after an interesting orange wine, a crisp Portuguese white or a kalimotxos (red wine and Coke – don’t knock it, etc.), there’s zero sense of pretension waiting for you at the bar.
It also helps that Charles is something of a larger-than-life, naturally social character. His deceptively simple pairing videos – matching wines with famed Sheffield scran like Beres pork sarnies (beaut with a rich brut, apparently) and China Red’s Szechuan prawns (grab a fruity Portuguese rosé) – have become something of an online hit, cementing Barks’ place among the city’s ever-growing food and drink scene.
It’s also part of a much bigger picture. Rather than seeing the city’s growing collection of wine bars and bottle shops as rivals, Charles sees collaborative potential, and he’s keen to tip his hat to the teams at The Old Shoe, Not Open; Don’t Come, Gills & Co, Starmore Boss, and Tenaya Wines, who he sees as friends as opposed to rivals.
“We all go to tastings together, we all organise bits for the wine events together, we all meet up and have social drinks,” he says. “There’s plenty of wine to go around for us all and crucially, we all are good at specialising in certain niches within wine. That’s what makes a strong scene.”
The bigger space has naturally allowed them to expand their range, with around 300 bottles on the shelves and an ever-changing by-the-glass list that sees 22 of its 27 wines rotated every week. It’s also opened the door to one of the shop’s most exciting new additions: Experiences at Barks. Running Tuesday to Friday, these bookable two-hour tastings pair five wines with everything from artisan cheese to, in a rather iconic move, Scampi Fries.
“It’s just a fantastic way to have a bit more of an informed Barks experience,” says Charles. “But it’s still very much a laidback and social atmosphere at the heart of things.”
Alongside that, there are winemaker evenings, seasonal events and plenty more planned, all delivered with the same relaxed, inviting ethos that has made Barks such a winning addition to the city centre.
“People often fall into a comfort zone in wine, which is understandable,” Charles adds, switching into service mode as a new group of punters comes through the door. “But it’s about having that exploratory conversation, showing them what else is on offer.
“What’s really important to me is getting people to try as much wine as possible,” he concludes with a laugh. “You can say that’s my mission.”
