Wicker Sheffield: Food outlets on famous Sheffield street battling to survive with few customers

I spent lunchtime in the Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant and witnessed just how tough life is - because I was the only diner. In that time a handful of customers either drank coffee standing up or carried out popular Enjera flat bread.

The venue is carefully and precisely heated with bar and gas bottle fires which are switched on for customers and off when they leave. Energy bills have shot up from hundreds to £3,000-a-month in the last year, Sara says. Ingredients including meat and vegetables are now “very expensive” and sometimes salad items aren’t available at all.

Customers are also feeling the pinch due to rocketing prices. And Orthodox Christian Lent, which involves fasting until 3pm, is also hitting trade.

But it wasn’t just Sheger, across the road Imran’s and Khyber Diner appeared to be quiet too. Wicker has surprisingly few empty units, although that could be about to change.

Sara, a mum-of-two, and her business partner, who has three children, might have to take second jobs.

She said: “Sometimes we go home without anything. We’ll see what happens in the next two months but we might have to take part-time work as well. Before the cost-of-living crisis there were crowds on the pavement in the evening. Now it’s much quieter.”

Wicker used to be thought of as a bit rough and although better, incidents still happen, Sara says.

“If something happens outside we’ll lock the door. Sometimes people are fighting. Sometimes the police come. It’s the city centre and we expect it. Although it’s better these days,” she explained.

My delicious ‘vegetarian sampler’ comes with several servings of dals and spiced vegetables served on - and with - large savoury pancakes. Sara toasts Ethiopian coffee beans before making coffee served alongside burning incense. It is as good as any in Sheffield.

Wicker is a cultural melting pot that ranges from the traditional The Big Gun pub to Sadacca - Sheffield And District African Caribbean Community Association - to restaurants and takeaways serving cuisine from around the world.

Dave Bromehead, owner of sci-fi book and comic shop Sheffield Space Centre, provides a window on the past. He’s been here since 1986, moving from London Road at Heeley bottom after a new contraflow threatened to kill trade. Wicker then had a butcher, shops selling electricals, pet food and shoes, and a post office.

Business was good until 2000 but has since been hit by declining footfall, he says, partly due to the demolition of Castle Market, “neglect” of Castlegate and the council “steering everyone towards Victoria Quays”.

Dave added: “Wicker was a very good move for us at the time. We only do a bit online and Saturdays are still our busiest day in the shop. But business hasn’t recovered since the pandemic.”

He thinks he’s the second longest serving shopkeeper after Martin Bennett, who has been at Wicker Pharmacy since 1973. The shop itself boasts of being open every day for more than 70 years.

Star reader Rebecca Mountford said she used to get the bus work from outside pharmacy in the dark and has “never felt more unsafe in my life, mostly customers going in and often being dragged back out by police.”