I remember going to the British Restaurant next door to the City Hall and having a rib sticking meal. It was very dark, noisy and sparcely decorated. British restaurants were built to feed the folk who were bombed out of their houses. When did it close down?

Bede----I can't remember that one [ exactly where was it ?] but I do remember a similar one on Pond Street-----about half way along on your left as you walked from the post office towards Howard St.
That , too , was very basic and the food was similar to what they were serving up for school dinners at that time. I don't think they were solely for people who were bombed out but that might have been the original reason for creating them. I went in the Pond St. one about 1945-6 [?]. I think all the meals were one price and very cheap.
If they were only for bombed out people , perhaps my parents went in "unofficially ". !

Originally posted by Bede
I remember going to the British Restaurant next door to the City Hall and having a rib sticking meal. It was very dark, noisy and sparcely decorated. British restaurants were built to feed the folk who were bombed out of their houses. When did it close down?

Bede, I remember going in the British Restaurant with my Dad in the late fifties, He was manager of Tom's hairdressers on Charles St. I don't think it was exclusively for the "bombed out" people ( I'm not 100% certain on this ) I think it was just so the people could have a good square meal at a fair price. It used to be good wholesome food as I remember. You can just see it on www.picturesheffield.com/database_search.php
if you search in the "C" s it shows it on picture no.y01289, It was on the left hand side of the city hall at the end of Division St next to the bank. I can't remember the date of closure but I think it was closed in 1960
hope this helps
David:)

I remember it...a prefab building behind the water company buillding [later NUM HQ} next to Andrews the stationers.

Went in there for a lunchtime meal a few times in the late fifties, cheap and cheerful, - but good grub. Much better than school meals in those days ;)

Had a great trip down memory lane with the picture sheffield site.Thanks Deecee

You are welcome thai, glad you enjoyed it.

Greybeard :
Yes you are right , it was a prefab building, but the food was good wasn't it !

Originally posted by deecee
Bede, I remember going in the British Restaurant with my Dad in the late fifties, He was manager of Tom's hairdressers on Charles St. I don't think it was exclusively for the "bombed out" people ( I'm not 100% certain on this ) I think it was just so the people could have a good square meal at a fair price. It used to be good wholesome food as I remember. You can just see it on www.picturesheffield.com/database_search.php
if you search in the "C" s it shows it on picture no.y01289, It was on the left hand side of the city hall at the end of Division St next to the bank. I can't remember the date of closure but I think it was closed in 1960
hope this helps
David:)

Originally posted by prioryx
I used to go to Toms barbers in the 50s I think the chap who I went to the most was called Bernard may be you knew him

Originally posted by prioryx
I used to go to Toms barbers in the 50s I think the chap who I went to the most was called Bernard may be you knew him

Hiya prioryx,
yes I knew Bernard Pitts very well, He was my dad's mate as well as working at Toms, they used to garage their motorbikes in the same garage in Bromley Street and both families used to go out for a run on Sundays, obviously that being the only day off in those days. Bernard used to have a barbers shop on upperthorpe when Toms closed. He was a very nice bloke and a good mate to my dad. Thanks for remembering .
David
:thumbsup:

Brought back memories. i was trying to remember the name to explain. I went to the one in Pond Street a couple of times

I remember going to the British Restaurant next door to the City Hall and having a rib sticking meal. It was very dark, noisy and sparcely decorated. British restaurants were built to feed the folk who were bombed out of their houses. When did it close down?

Yea.. I remember my gran taking me there when I was a kid.
Somewhere recently.. I'm sure in S/F... someone jogged my memory of the name but I cannot for the life of me remember now. If it comes back to me I'll sure let you know.

Yea.. I remember my gran taking me there when I was a kid.
Somewhere recently.. I'm sure in S/F... someone jogged my memory of the name but I cannot for the life of me remember now. If it comes back to me I'll sure let you know.


I just had a browse and found a name that rings a bell for me.
Was it Tuckwoods you were thinking of ?

I didn't know that the British restaurants were still in existence in the 50's, I thought it was just a wartime establishment.During the war you could get a plain, filling meal at a reasonable price but I don't remember whether you had to give points or coupons for your food. One of my worst experiences of the war happened at a British Restaurant somewhere around Westbar. We were always hungry but had returned enough empties to go for a nice meal. It was a sort of hot pot and was eagerly carried back to the table but somebody had not put the top back on the pepper pot properly so I got about an inch of pepper all over the food. Staff refused to replace the meal (this was before the customer was always right) so I had to scrape as much off as I could and eat it.

I didn't know that the British restaurants were still in existence in the 50's, I thought it was just a wartime establishment.During the war you could get a plain, filling meal at a reasonable price but I don't remember whether you had to give points or coupons for your food. One of my worst experiences of the war happened at a British Restaurant somewhere around Westbar. We were always hungry but had returned enough empties to go for a nice meal. It was a sort of hot pot and was eagerly carried back to the table but somebody had not put the top back on the pepper pot properly so I got about an inch of pepper all over the food. Staff refused to replace the meal (this was before the customer was always right) so I had to scrape as much off as I could and eat it.


Hi ,
The British Restaurant you refer to was at Bridge Street Bus Station, next to the 150 & 151 Shiregreen Bus Stop.

Thanks Capricorn 11. It seems to me to have been near where we got off the Middlewood / Ecclesall tram - would that be right ? In my small world at that time I thought that British Restaurant was the only one but, reading the thread, there were evidently several of them. Anybody know who owned them and how long they were in operation?

Thanks Capricorn 11. It seems to me to have been near where we got off the Middlewood / Ecclesall tram - would that be right ? In my small world at that time I thought that British Restaurant was the only one but, reading the thread, there were evidently several of them. Anybody know who owned them and how long they were in operation?



Hi, Redneck,
Yes, the tram stop would have been at the bottom of Snig Hill, at the top side of the Bus Terminus.
The only other B.R's I can remember were the ones already mentioned, i.e. Pond St & City Hall (Holly St.)
I don't recall who owned them but they also known as "Civic" restaurants, so maybe there's a clue. The actual build, was of very economic construction and I think were of a type called "Horsa", a build that was used extensively during the war. Several schools around Sheffield had classrooms built of this type in school playgrounds.
regards Capricorn_11

Hiya prioryx,
yes I knew Bernard Pitts very well, He was my dad's mate as well as working at Toms, they used to garage their motorbikes in the same garage in Bromley Street and both families used to go out for a run on Sundays, obviously that being the only day off in those days. Bernard used to have a barbers shop on upperthorpe when Toms closed. He was a very nice bloke and a good mate to my dad. Thanks for remembering .
David
:thumbsup:

Hi Deecee,Just picked up this thread about Bernard Pitts. I knew him too! He was my Dad!!Thanks for the kind words. I have a photo somewhere for Toms Christmas doo. 1950`s

I just had a browse and found a name that rings a bell for me.
Was it Tuckwoods you were thinking of ?

Tuckwoods was on Surrey Street near the Montgomery Theatre. Popular with the Hallé members and the snooker entourage from the Crucible. Many lament its closing - it's British cuisine was just the job!

I always understood the British Restaurants were a Government run set up. Somebody had a jazz club for a while at the one opposite the City. Only one night a week though. I remember it well because a certain big name band leader tripped over my foot when he was making his grand entrance.