Discover Sheffield's Newest Trattoria
Maria co-founder Jack Wakelin tells Living North about bringing a traditional trattoria to Sheffield, and why independents continue to thrive in the city
Their first opening, Bench, began welcoming guests in 2020 and has since earned national acclaim for its innovative food and laidback vibe. ‘It was fun, the music was loud, and the lights were low,’ Jack explains, telling us it was the perfect first venture for two young entrepreneurs. The Pearl at Park Hill came next, and reflected their shifting priorities. ‘As we’ve grown up as business owners, we wanted to offer something for everybody at The Pearl,’ he says. ‘We didn’t want to call it a pub, we wanted to call it a local.’ Low-key bakery, bottle shop and wine bar Bench La Cave soon followed.
Maria is the most recent iteration of how the pair have developed over the years. Relaxed, inviting and fuss-free, family is at the heart of the space. ‘We’ve got young families,’ says Jack. ‘It’s still a really serious restaurant but we cater for children as well and we class ourselves as a family restaurant.’
'People who live in Sheffield are really supportive of the independents here and really proud of the independents'
The restaurant is inspired by traditional Italian trattorias which Ronnie experienced as a child with his grandmother. ‘It’s not fine dining – you want it to be really approachable, affordable dining and that’s where the menu started,’ Jack explains. ‘We’ve got a small section of antipasti, we’ve then got a section that is pasta, which is made fresh every day.’ From the selection of pasta, diners can always rely on an ‘in brodo’ option, which Jack says is a firm favourite. ‘It’s hard to look past the tortellini in brodo. It showcases the real care that goes into it. Essentially it’s pasta in a chicken bone broth. It’s hopefully going to be the hero dish.’
The menu also has dishes designed to be shared. ‘We’ve got slightly larger plates which change with the seasons towards the bottom of the menu where you get fish sharers and steak sharers cooked over the charcoal grill that we’ve got on site.’ The emphasis is on quality, and the produce speaks for itself. ‘We want to serve the best ingredients that are available to us, whether that’s in the drinks or in the food. It’s something we really champion across all of our businesses.
‘The care in the ingredients is one of the most important things and that breeds a less is more [approach]. If you’ve got brilliant produce, you’re able to champion that and you don’t have to hide it or mask it.’
Jack believes Sheffield is unique for its support of independents. ‘I always say it’s like the Madagascar of the North. The M62 goes to Leeds and Manchester, but doesn’t go via Sheffield. I think we just keep ourselves to ourselves and independents do well,’ he explains. ‘Chains notoriously don’t do that well in Sheffield city centre. People who live in Sheffield are really supportive of the independents here and really proud of the independents.’
Jack says this support leads to more and more entrepreneurs being inspired to start their own ventures. ‘People that work at our venues I hope go and open their own,’ he says, pointing out that he and Ronnie met at another beloved Sheffield independent, Public. ‘We then got inspired to go and do our own which was Bench. Everyone supports each other – there’s no animosity between different companies. I actually saw the other day that Public did a little guide to the city and they’re going to different venues that they love in Sheffield city centre. I think it is a supportive community for sure.’
