a decent conversation with The Schoolrooms.

The Schoolrooms in Sheffield are serving up delicious eats in the old Low Bradfield School. After the school closed its doors to pupils in 1985, it stood derelict for a number of years, until it was bought by the Hague family more than 30 years ago. They slowly and lovingly restored the Victorian building, finally opening it as The Schoolrooms in 2011, a farm shop and café with an adjoining house next door.

We spoke with manager Laura about this journey, what’s on offer, and how to spend time in Sheffield.

Hey! Can you please tell us a bit about The Schoolrooms, and what inspired you to start? 

The Schoolrooms is situated in the heart of Low Bradfield, right on the edge of Sheffield and the beautiful Peak District, we reside in an old Victorian schoolhouse, once teaching children from all the surrounding villages. In 1985 the school closed and local children were sent to the nearby village of Dungworth to continue learning. Following this, The Schoolrooms building was slowly, lovingly restored to bring a new lease of life to its former glory, creating our wonderful cafe & kitchen for everyone to enjoy. We wanted to create a space in the center of our village for the local community to enjoy, when we first opened there were only pubs in the area so a cafe was a completely new offering. For our cafe, we source ingredients locally wherever possible, and freshly make the majority of our menu items onsite to bring you wholesome, top quality, homemade food.  In April 2023 we launched Assembly at The Schoolrooms, our bar & bistro, housed in the right side of the building. With the help of talented local chefs, it focuses on serving top quality British dishes with a modern twist. We have an ever-changing seasonal menu and offer a special Supper Club on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. 
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What does sustainability mean to you, and how else do you support sustainability in your cafe?

Sustainability is really important to us! We aim to support local businesses as much as possible, by using local butchers who rear their own meat and other fresh produce suppliers from the area, so we know our carbon footprint is as low as can be. We send all our waste to a local Sheffield waste recycling station so as much as possible can be re-used for fuel etc. 

What do you think is key for creating a loyal customer base and a great neighbourhood local cafe? 

We think it’s really important that customers feel seen and heard so by actively responding to customer feedback we find this is a great way to build on our ever-growing loyal customer base. We show our gratitude to our neighbors and loyal locals by offering discounts and loyalty cards to those who have supported us throughout our journey. More importantly though, we have created a really positive culture within our team, of building customer rapport amongst familiar faces and even those not so familiar, which helps to take customer relations that one step further than just the average interaction, leaving a lasting effect on consumers and encouraging many return visits! 


For someone visiting your spot for the first time, what’s something they must try from your menu? 

All our homemade dishes are to die for and are freshly made with a dollop of TLC every single day. From our ‘proper pastry’ Steak & Ale Pie to our oven fresh scones, you can’t go wrong, we’ve perfected every recipe - after all, we’ve had plenty of practice. 


What’s your favourite thing about living in Sheffield? 

Living in Sheffield you get the absolute best of both worlds. With it being a larger city there’s every amenity you could wish for on your doorstep whilst also offering the most gorgeous countryside views, walks and adventures just a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I like to say venturing into Bradfield can be likened to that ‘ahh’ moment on the plane, where you break through the clouds into those clear skies that are so easy to forget about when you aren’t up there! 

For someone visiting for the weekend, what are some key things to do?

If you’re into shopping, Meadowhall is a must when visiting Sheffield! The best time to visit is July when the city is taken over by our forever growing Tramlines Festival! There’s great days out to be had in the heart of Sheffield at the Peace Gardens, the fountains are great for the little ones! Sheffield’s outskirts, including our beloved Bradfield village, are littered with beautiful reservoirs and peaks that were built for exploring. The perfect day? A walk around dam flask with the pooches, or a challenging bike ride across a few of the 7 (more like 97) hills, grab an ice cream to cool down, paddle in the river across the stepping stones to feed the ducks, a spot of wholesome cricket spectating,  homemade hearty lunch at The Schoolrooms, followed by coffee and a big ol’ slice of cake! 


Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline for The Schoolrooms?

We have a big kitchen expansion in the pipeline which will allow us to drastically expand our menu so big things are coming! Our themed Bottomless Brunch afternoons are a forever popular event which we intend on continuing on a bi-monthly basis. We have recently had a garden makeover with our new turf and lots of new picnic benches, so we are the perfect place to enjoy the last few rays of summer! 


Find The Schoolrooms on Instagram here.