Southbank Deli and Eatery Walkley: New business aims to restore buzz to Sheffield community hit by closure

The owners of a new deli and eatery aim to breathe new life into a Sheffield community hit hard by the closure of a much-loved shop.

Southbank Deli and Eatery has taken over two of the four units that used to comprise the popular Beeches of Walkley shop on South Road, Walkley.

Beeches was at the heart of the community it served for many years before the farm shop and deli, which in recent years also housed a post office counter, shut late last year.

It was run for more than 20 years by Chris and Donna Beech before briefly being taken over last year by Sirfraz Hassan and Dula Bibi.

‘Everybody’s said it’s just what Walkley needs’

Now part of the large store has reopened as Southbank Deli and Eatery, run by Sue Linley and her husband Phil.

Sue, who owns the Beautiful South Pamper Bar beauty salon across the road from the new deli, said the public response had been brilliant since it opened on Saturday, April 6.

“We’ve been really, really busy and people have been so kind and positive. Everybody’s said it’s just what Walkley needs,” she told The Star.

Sue explained how opening a deli and eatery had been a 20-year dream for her and her joiner husband, who are both big foodies.

“We’re really passionate about cooking using good ingredients, and we want to pass on our love of food to like-minded people,” she said.

The new deli and eatery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am each day, and serves breakfast until around 11.30am, followed by lunch.

Sandwiches and pinsas, an Italian delicacy similar to pizzas, are available, with customers able to choose their own fillings and toppings from a range of homemade produce containing fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Salad boxes are available too, along with hot and cold drinks, and people can choose to eat in or take away.

‘It’s felt like there’s a real hole in the community’

The large selection of deli produce includes local cheeses, honey, sausages, Waterall pork pies and Our Cow Molly milk, and there’s even an olive bar.

Sue told how she and Phil are keen to restore some of the buzz to the community which was lost when Beeches closed.

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“Beeches was always a really big community hub and I think Walkley appreciated that,” she said.

“The Walkley community is very supportive of small businesses, especially since Covid hit, and it’s felt like there’s a real hole in the community since Beeches closed.

“We want to make Walkley the buzzing place it was just after Covid by giving it back somewhere people can get good quality, locally sourced produce, which is also a bit of a meeting place.”