Neighbourhood wine bar opens in Kelham Island
Just a short walk away from Sheffield city centre lies Gibralter Street, the gateway to Kelham Island. At number 167-169, coffee specialists Upshot Espresso moved in for a short period before owner Samuel Binstead realised the true potential of the building.
Speaking to Exposed, Samuel said: “We’re thinking of this less of a rebrand, more of a natural progression in to what this space always really wanted to be. When we opened up the second site as Upshot we already knew that we didn’t want a carbon copy of what we were already doing. The main reason we’ve changed the name is so the original Upshot (on Glossop Road) can retain its identity as a great space for speciality coffee and brunching, without confusing people about what we’re here to do. I’ve always wanted somewhere in Sheffield to drink some great natural wine, and somewhere to go grab a casual bite in an evening.”
The story behind the name, Elm. Turns out it was inspired by a classic car. “We wanted something warm, inviting and natural. I was actually scrolling through photos on my phone looking for something that made me feel good for inspiration when I came across a photo of my prized classic Saab 900 (pictured below). That was short lived…it was stolen not even six months after I got it! Anyway, the number plate was all I needed to know what I wanted to call the space”.
What’s on the menu at Elm? “We just open a few bottles to pour by the glass depending on how we feel. When one bottle is empty we’ll crack something else open to enjoy. There’s a little blackboard which shows what’s open there and then, or you can just grab a bottle off of the shelves and we’ll happily open it for you.
“We’re doing wine to go as well so you can grab some bottles with a little takeaway discount to enjoy at home. We just have one beer, an unfiltered lager from a brewery called And Union and we’re currently working on a small cocktail menu too. Hot drinks are obviously all courtesy of Upshot so you know you can get a mean brew with your weekend brunchin’, if you’re not into prosecco in the morning!”
Sam continues: “The kitchen serves up some great British ingredients for lunch, and there’s a two course set menu option for a tenner. Next week we’ve got pumpkin soup with sage and brown butter, followed by mackerel, mushroom tart or pork belly. In the evenings it’s handmade pizza and charcuterie/bar snacks. Simple things like bread and butter (baked next door by Pete of Camm Street Bakery), fennel salami from Porter Brook Deli and Yorkshire Cheddar drizzled with Sheffield Honey.”
Elm is open every day except Mondays, with brunch served each day until 3pm, and pizza and bar snacks served until 5pm.
Elm at 167-169 Gibralter Street is open now. Head to elmsheffield.co.uk for more information.
