Businesses close all the time but the list of those we have lost this year makes for very bleak reading.
Dreams dashed, debts run up and people out of work, the loss of any firm is a tragedy on many levels.
Companies have suffered a relentless squeeze since the pandemic in 2020. It was followed by Brexit-related shortages, and a cost of living crisis which saw spiralling inflation and soaring energy bills.
Reasons for closure are many and varied - here we take a sober look at the pubs, restaurants and firms that pulled down the shutters for the last time in 2023.
Companies have suffered a relentless squeeze since the pandemic in 2020. It was followed by Brexit-related shortages, and a cost of living crisis which saw spiralling inflation and soaring energy bills.
5. Bill’s
Bill’s was a popular restaurant in one of Sheffield city centre’s most prominent spots that opened long before the pandemic. But in February this year customers found the venue on Norfolk Street next to the Peace Gardens boarded up. Days later the company issued a statement confirming closure, adding: “We loved being part of the local community and thank all our guests for visiting over the years.”
6. The Big Gun
The Big Gun on Wicker dated back 233 years and was famous for a sign which stated: ‘A nice pub for nice people’. Almost everyone had heard of it, but not enough went in and it closed in September. It was also the sole remaining pub on the street that was famous for at one time having at least a dozen.
7. Balti King
This Broomhill restaurant was an institution that served Mick Jagger and Shane Ritchie, and generations of students. It closed in February after 33 years. Boss Tony Hussain blamed Covid, the council and the cost of living crisis. Said to be the first balti house in Sheffield.
8. Hamleys
In March the world famous toy store Hamleys closesd its Meadowhall branch after criticism from shoppers that it was “tiny” and “expensive”. It was just two-and-a-half years after it opened in October 2020. Hamleys was founded in 1760 in London where its flagship branch on Regent Street still trades.