Owners of Bench in Sheffield, Jack Wakelin and Tom ‘Ronnie’ Aronica, will open their second venue in August, The Pearl at Park Hill.
On a mission to open their “perfect local”, Wakelin (pictured above left) and Aronica (above right) aim to bring a seasonal, ever-changing cocktail menu, craft beer and natural wine alongside bar snacks to their new venue.
Park Hill, a brutalist concrete landmark of Sheffield’s skyline, was built to provide housing for the workforce of the city's steelworks. It was once home to four pubs which were hubs of the local community.
Wakelin said: “We feel honoured to be taking on a site with such cultural history in the city. Being the largest listed building in Europe, we feel a responsibility to offer something for the community, the city, and beyond.
“We are really proud of the drinks programme at Bench and the opportunity to do something even more drinks-led; harking back to our formative days at Public is a prospect we are super excited about.”
The Pearl is the first drinks-led venue to open on the site since its regeneration by development partners Urban Splash and Places for People.
The bar’s kitchen, headed up Aronica, will serve a small choice of ‘drinking food’.
Aronica said: “We really want this to be a platform to showcase some of the suppliers we’ve worked with since opening Bench, such as Carlingford oysters, Cinderwood Market Garden and Curing Rebel’s charcuterie. Simple, beautiful ingredients and produce, treated well.”
The opening date of The Pearl at Park Hill will be announced in due course.