Simmonite: Sadness at sudden closure of Sheffield city centre's last butcher's shop

Many expressed sadness at the loss of Simmonite on Division Street which has closed to make way for a micro-pub. It was famous for its big displays of fresh meat and fish, often on ice, and deli items. Open long hours and seven days a week, it survived for 10 years.

Other readers asked whether the area needed more drinking establishments.

On The Star’s Facebook page, Kathryn Topham said: “Great pies...Gutted.”

Chris Sexton said: “This is so sad. As a resident of the the city centre this was one of our favourite shops."

Janice Fox: “So sad to see this, their meat and steak pies were excellent, end of another era.”

Simon Roebuck-Richards added: “We don’t want it to close down because it’s one of the best butchers in Sheffield.”

Ian Shepherd said sarcastically: “That’ll be amazing cos there’s no other pubs anywhere near.”

Stephen Miller added: “Literally 14 pubs within 10 minutes walking distance! Sheffield has its priorities sorted.”

Marc Miranda: “Another micro-pub specialising in real ale? Definitely not enough of those in Sheffield.”

The business, run by Carl Simmonite, bucked a trend by moving out of Sheffield market 10 years ago and into a high profile shop close to Barker’s Pool. It quickly became a favourite with residents and workers heading home.

The shop remained open during the pandemic to ‘help the community’ by providing essential products, according to a Facebook post by Jessica Simmonite in March 2020.

She added: “We appreciate any custom we get over this difficult and thank each and every one of you for using a small independent business.”

Earlier the same year the shop suffered a smashed window, the second in the time it had been there. Now it is set to be replaced by a micro-pub.

In a statement, agents Worcester Planning Consultancy said: “The applicant is applying for a micro bar, selling real ales and moving away from the typical public house lager drinker. No external changes would be proposed and the proposal would be adjacent to other like minded uses.”