New restaurant based in a former Sheffield barn due to open this weekend

Work to transform a barn at Whirlow Hall Farm into a new dining space and farm shop began just before the pandemic in March last year, and the 120-seat restaurant is now set to open to the public on Saturday, July 17.

During his run on the hit culinary show on BBC One, Luke Rhodes became known for his twist on Yorkshire food and for introducing the judges to Henderson’s Relish.

The 27-year-old is now the head chef at Whirlow Hall Farm’s restaurant, which boasts beautiful views of the Sheffield countryside, and is looking forward to welcoming customers inside to try his brand new menu.

"We can’t wait to get going, and I’ve got this great opportunity to run this new venture. We hope people will come down so we can show them what we have to offer,” said Luke, who worked as sous chef at the University of Sheffield’s Halifax Hall hotel.

The restaurant will have a breakfast and brunch offering, with dishes including a smoked beef brisket hash and eggs bennedict with a Jersey butter Hollandaise and ham from the farm.

Luke, from Woodhouse, says their lunch menu will be “more fine dining, more of a bistro,” and that the contrast between the breakfast and brunch menu, compared with the lunch offering, will mean people can have “two different dining experiences” under one roof.

"You can come and have three courses at lunchtime, enjoy our wine and make the most of the view, or you can come with the family and the dog and get some brunch,” he explained.

Whirlow Hall Farm’s vineyard makes a selection of wines including a sparkling white; a sparkling rosé and a red wine, all of which retail at £15 a bottle.

The restaurant also has a Sunday lunch menu, which will always include beef and pork dishes, and will have also a “roast of the day,” and Luke says lamb and chicken are among the additional options diners can expect to see.

There will also be vegetarian options available, and all of the lunches will come with cauliflower cheeses; roasties; mash and seasonable vegetables. Desserts of the day such as a chocolate fondant tart and sticky toffee pudding will also be available.

Luke is keen to emphasise that all of the produce used to create the dishes on the new menu has been “grown or reared” at Whirlow Hall Farm, from the meat to the wine that can be ordered to accompany the dinner menu, to apples from their orchard that will be used from everything from desserts to garnishes.

He said: "We’ve also got our own veg, our own onions. It’s a big play area for a chef, we’ve got a vast amount of everything.”

A new farm shop has been created within the converted barn space, and Luke says those who dine with them can pick up anything they enjoy eating and drinking in the restaurant as well as a selection of cheeses, chutneys, marmalades and homemade sweet treats from the Secret Cake Club.

Whirlow Hall Farm is based on Whirlow Lane, Whirlow, and since 1979 the farm’s educational Trust has been helping children to benefit from outdoor learning.

For more information please visit: https://www.whirlowhallfarm.org/