What started as a simple idea – do seafood properly – has turned into one of the city’s most quietly influential kitchens. Five years on, Native is celebrating the only way it knows how: quality oysters, cocktails and a big bank holiday knees-up…
In a city not exactly spoiled for seafood, Native has spent the last five years proving a point. No pretentious concepts or overloaded menus trying to cover all bases – just fresh fish, good wine and a space that works whether you’re in for a quick bite or an evening-long special occasion.
This month, they’ll be marking the five-year milestone with a distinctly fitting celebration. Oyster Fest, taking place on Sunday 24 May, offers a bank holiday setup built around £1.50 oysters, cocktails, music and a courtyard that comes into its own during the summer.
“It’s an opportunity to bring together everything we offer and celebrate,” says Emily, assistant manager at Native. “I think the main draw for us is the £1.50 oysters, because that’s incredibly cheap for quality oysters and it gives people a chance to try lots of different ones.”
There’ll be champagne on arrival, oyster flights paired with cocktails, DJs running through the day and a ‘best dressed oyster’ competition thrown in for good measure. Expect plenty of bank holiday energy, all built around the excellent produce on offer.
While Native may be a relative youngster on Sheffield’s culinary scene, its roots run deep. The restaurant itself came out of J H Mann, the fishmongers that’s been part of the city for more than a century, with owner Christian Szurko taking over the reins in 2005.
“Sheffield needed this style of restaurant because years ago there was barely anywhere doing fish properly. We just wanted to do our own thing and not step on anybody else’s toes,” Christian tells Exposed.
That mindset of finding their niche and sticking to it still holds. Native doesn’t play it safe or bend the menu to crowd-pleasers. There’s certainly no fallback option if you don’t fancy seafood, and he says that’s entirely deliberate.
“You do get people coming in asking if there’s a meat option, and there isn’t, but that’s where the front of house comes in – getting people to try something different and changing their opinion.”
Five years ago, it might have been a tougher sell. Sheffield’s not exactly known for oysters – an acquired taste at the best of times – and Christian explains that for many local visitors, the starting point wasn’t great.
“When we started doing oysters, a lot of people had had really bad experiences, so it was more about gaining people’s trust and showing them what a good one should actually be like. It’s all about that education, if you like.”
“Sheffield needed this style of restaurant, because years ago there was barely anywhere doing fish properly”
“We get so many people coming in saying they’ve never had them before, and then they try them and they’re like, wow, they were amazing. We’ve never had anyone try them and say they wouldn’t have them again,” adds Emily.
As well as freshness, a lot of that comes down to how they’re served. It’s not just about handing someone a natural oyster and hoping for the best. There are different ways in – from Korean fried to sharper dressings and more recognisable flavours that make it feel less like a leap.
“We usually push people that aren’t too sure onto something like the Korean fried oyster first, because it’s a bit more of an entry-level option before you go straight into a raw one,” says Emily.
The space has evolved over the years, too. What began as a smaller, more contained restaurant has since opened out, quite literally, into something far more fluid. Next door, what is now Stag & Eel was once a standalone micropub, but when it closed, Native took on the space and knocked through – creating a seamless run of bar, restaurant and, out back, a courtyard that’s a real hidden gem when the weather plays ball.
Now, it all works as one. The spaces each have their own feel, but together they form a natural rhythm – whether that’s a quick cocktail after work, something pre-dinner, or a post-meal round of drinks for the perfect nightcap.
“We needed to expand and become bigger, because people were waiting around and the space just wasn’t working, so evolving it has made a big difference to how people use it now. We can cater for all types of occasions – and you kind of have to these days,” says Christian.
To build on that point, Emily explains that the growth of their offering reflects changing food cultures: less structure and formality, more grazing and spontaneity. “We’re not trying to put out a fine dining situation at all – that’s not us. It’s more about being relaxed so people can just come, have a drink, pick at a few things and stay as long as they want.”
Which is exactly what Oyster Fest will lean into. It’s not a sit-down event by any stretch, more a laidback social gathering timed perfectly with a sunny forecast. Turn up, grab your free drink, order a few oysters, soak up the vibes and see where the evening takes you.
“It’s more about showcasing what we do and celebrating it in a fun, social way, rather than making it into something too serious,” says Emily.
Five years in, Native isn’t trying to convince anyone anymore. It’s just cracking on with doing what it does best, and letting people find their own way into things.
And if you haven’t experienced it yet, a bank holiday afternoon with £1.50 oysters is probably as good a place to start as any.
Get your Oyster Fest tickets *here*
@nativejhmann
167-169 Gibraltar Street
S3 8UA
