ISSUE 002 2010/11

MADE Magazine

AUTHENTIC & INDEPENDENT A competitive identity for the city of Sheffield. Pages 12-18

MADE IN SHEFFIELD Emma Harrison on entrepreneurialism, resilience and disposable plates. Pages 26-30

20 YEARS OF A SHEFFIELD ICON Meadowhall: a commercial powerhouse of South Yorkshire. Pages 42-44

BUSINESS/ IDEAS/ CULTURE/ LIFE/ SPORT/ SHEFFIELD

opportunity Sheffield: a city of great opportunity. Page 05

from adelaide to sheffield Hussain Currimbhoy on his journey to Doc/Fest. Page 06-07

our favourite places Eleven Design reveals unique Sheffield secrets. Page 08-11

authentic/independent A competitive identity for Sheffield. Page 12-18

made in 48 hours Doug Richard discusses Sheffield’s Made in 48 hours. Page 20-25

made in sheffield Emma Harrison on entrepreneurialism, resilience and disposable plates. Page 26-30

london, sheffield, connected Katz Kiely develops a new digital ecosystem. Page 32-34

space to think Business conferences have come a long way from dusty boardrooms. Page 36-39

sheffield, the next generation New Holiday Inn Express brings next generation hospitality to Sheffield. Page 40-41

20 years of a sheffield icon Meadowhall: a commercial powerhouse of South Yorkshire. Page 42-44

standing up for comedy Toby Foster on an interview with an out and out nutcase. Page 46-48

tasty starters An insight into some delicious, entrepreneurial food brands made in Sheffield. Page 50-55

shake aletti – an interview Shake Aletti have come a long way since Tramlines 2009. Page 56-57

the four ruffian poets Profile on Sheffield based band The Crookes. Page 58

doing what they love The city has its watchful eye on Mabel Love. Page 60-61

tramlines takes over Sheffield’s largest free event continues to explode. Page 62-64

events calendar What’s on in Sheffield. Page 66

Note from the editor

It has been almost a year since the first issue of MADE and Sheffield is a place much changed. We have felt the steady ripples from changes in government and a refocused agenda for the UK economy, but the city must now ride the waves of opportunities. This issue of the magazine is launched at MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, marking a fresh outlook from a city that has a deep entrepreneurial spirit.

Sheffield is not short of ambassadors, this much I have learnt from everyone I have spoken to. Now it must mean business. It is clear that the city’s authenticity and individuality is felt deeply within these seven hills. It is now time to shout it from the rooftops. I hope this magazine goes some way in marking out a path for where our city needs to be, holding a brave and enterprising view of the future.

nicole green Editor

editornicole green

editorial steve doyle hannah Brailey

photography david short shaun Bloodworth craig flemingtom Jackson tracey welch nigel Barker

produced By creative sheffield in association with iris Brendan moffett laura sissons stephanie Barker

contents What’s inside...

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Sheffield’s economy has held up well during the recession, but has been affected like many places around the country. The UK, and our region, now face a unique challenge, to deliver an ‘enterprise-led recovery’. What better city to lead the way than one that has consistently functioned as a catalyst for enterprise and achievement?

Over time, Sheffield’s people have been recognised as independent, hardworking and entrepreneurial. Irrespective of the challenges faced, our city is one that gets the job done. It is now time to seize the enterprise opportunity. The qualities that make a successful business are the same as those that make a successful city and global investors are increasingly viewing Sheffield as a place they want to do business.

Capita Hartshead has recently located its national headquarters in our city and David Richards, President and CEO of software firm WANdisco, also chose Sheffield for his company’s new European base.Whether it is the superb quality of life, the 15,000 skilled graduates who leave the universities each year or the city’s unrivalled credentials in modern advanced manufacturing, businesses are now looking to benefit from the city’s cost-effective staff and grade A office space. The city prides itself on being authentic and independent. We are not complacent and have strong aspirations for the future. The last few years have seen much physical regeneration in Sheffield. We believe this regeneration also needs to

involve people and the skills they have.We need to provide the essential conditions for wealth creation, profitable business and the generation of jobs and enterprise in Sheffield.We will particularly look for ways of improving support to small and medium sized enterprises in the city, ensuring a ladder of support from idea right through to start up and growth. We will harness the power of the universities to support local businesses and we will promote Sheffield to external investors in order to attract new jobs and investment to the city.

One of our fundamental aims is to make Sheffield a great place to

start and grow a business.This is the Sheffield vision.

Sheffield has re-emerged as one

of Europe’s most dynamic cities and it is undoubtedly a great place to be at the moment. It is national events just like MADE: The

Entrepreneur Festival that are key

to bringing people into the city, enabling

us to grasp opportunities and build Sheffield’s profile.

The only way to really understand this city is by spending time here with the friendliest and most accommodating people in the world. With that in mind, we look forward to welcoming you to Sheffield in the very near future!

Councillor Paul Scriven Leader of Sheffield City Council

John MothersoleChief Executive Sheffield City Council

opportunityNow, more than ever, Sheffield should be seen as a city of great opportunity.

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www.creativesheffield.co.uk

www.irisassociates.com

Printed in Sheffield by Evolution Print Ltd.

“ there is a great line from Brian eno, “culture is conversation”. that’s especially true of sheffield. culture here is understated, unaffected and raw. it really is everywhere in the city.” Hussain Currimbhoy, Doc/Fest

adelaide

sheffield

My journey to Sheffield began following one chance meeting on the other side of the world, in Adelaide, Australia. It is there I met Heather Croall, the Director of the city’s international documentary festival, Doc/Fest.

She offered me a place in the programming department. All I knew about Sheffield back then was that it had a

deep musical spirit but I was over the moon. That was three years ago. I now live in Sheffield and I’ve never looked back. I had never lived in any one place for longer than a year or two since I was a teenager, so the idea of finding a place to connect with was a strange one to me – it didn’t take long for me to connect with Sheffield.

Personally, I connect with the youth culture here. It is sincere, it feels independent, and makes up a big part of Sheffield’s attitude. Once you go outside Sheffield and come back home, you really feel an authenticity and independence that is unique to this city. Sheffield can be a city of contradictions. So it makes some sense when I say I feel best when I’m hanging out in the quieter parts of Sheffield – the lanes, the parks, the spaces that used to be full of factories.

But I also feel connected to spots like the old Stockroom, the Rutland pub or the Washington. There is a great line from Brian Eno, “culture is conversation”. That’s especially true of Sheffield. Culture here is understated, unaffected and raw. It really is everywhere in the city.

“ this culture is crucial to the success of festivals in the city such as doc/fest. it’s a two-way relationship for sure, But we couldn’t do it without the energy of sheffield.”

You can walk in any direction for an hour and the scenery, the people, the feeling of the street will change from leafy English to urban to ex-industrial.

Almost everyone I know here works in the arts or used to work in the arts. Sheffield seems to be a place where people purposely come to in order to stand apart from London, to be independent and have the freedom to do their own thing on their own terms. People get together at the Showroom or the pub and we talk a lot about what we’ve seen or what we wish we could see at the cinema. The culture here is about a curiosity

and togetherness. We’re interested in each other and that’s where we find the answers to our questions – which gives us a sense of authenticity. Sheffield has the resources, the people and the ideas to go anywhere it wants.

This culture is crucial to the success of festivals in the city such as Doc/Fest. It’s a two-way relationship for sure, but we couldn’t do it without the energy of Sheffield. There is a lot of talent here and huge festivals like Doc/Fest are about getting local and international talent together which benefit the city.

My advice to anyone new to Sheffield would be to go out and live the city. Don’t stay at home, just head to the bars like the Washington, head to the Site gallery, the roller rink, the Showroom cinema, the markets, the comedy nights at the Lescar, then the little surprising elements of Sheffield will reveal themselves to you.

Venture into Sheffield and you will be rewarded, I promise you.

Doc/Fest 3rd − 7th November 2010 www.sheffdocfest.com

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Fusion Organic CaféFor lunch in the city, my first choice would always be Fusion Organic Café. The food is fantastic – hearty, inspired and locally sourced – everything looks, smells and tastes amazing. Housed in a restored cutlery workshop, the high ceilings showcase beautiful copper lights made by one of the craftsmen from the surrounding artists’ studios.

in sheffield, there are some great places to eat, drink and Be merry... you Just need to know where to look.

Sheffield’s best kept secrets have recently been revealed in an independent guidebook created by local design consultancy, Eleven. ‘Our Favourite Places’ shares a wealth of hidden gems for visitors and locals alike. Inspired by the many independent and authentic venues across Sheffield, Eleven put together the book based on their love for the city and its many unusual and unique places. Here, Claire Hill from Eleven, picks some highlights.

our favourite places

Best place for a potterMy favourite part of the city for a potter, Sharrow Vale Road is, for me, the perfect city street. Crammed full of independent shops, cafés and restaurants, I start most Saturday mornings here picking up treats for the weekend: super fresh fish from the speciality fishmonger J H Mann, cakes from Fancie and a bottle of Italian red from Nonna’s Cucina around the corner. I can rarely resist a nosey in The Front Parlour too, a tiny vintage shop selling 1950s clothes and trinkets.

A city walk You may not have the time (or the energy) to complete all of this country walk. It cuts through 14 miles of beautiful park and woodland to the southwest of the city, much of it gifted by wealthy benefactors. Instead, try the two miles or so between Endcliffe Park and Forge Dam (there are great cafés at each end). Admire the views, jump over the streams, feed the ducks, breathe in the fresh air and marvel at how you can do all this within a few miles of the city centre. A further ten minute walk from Forge Dam will lead you to one of the city’s the most unusual sights...60 alpacas happily grazing along Mayfield Valley.

The Botanical GardensLuckily I live a 10 minute walk away from Sharrow Vale Road and, even luckier still, I walk through the beautiful Botanical Gardens to get there. Extensively and lovingly restored, there is nowhere nicer to spend a relaxing afternoon in the city. Continuously changing, there is always something new and lovely to look at.

Sheffield TapOriginally a ‘refreshment room’ for first-class rail passengers but closed for 30 years, the Sheffield Tap is one of the finest bars in the city. The original Edwardian tiles and mahogany bar have been beautifully restored. Selling over 200 beers from around the world, and a partner to the local Thornbridge brewery, the Sheffield Tap manages to feel both European and local at the same time. It’s a stunning entry point to the city.

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Showroom Cinema After dinner, we head into the city for a culture fix at either the Showroom Cinema or the Crucible Theatre. The Showroom (one of the largest independent cinemas in Europe) shows an endlessly diverse range of films and documentaries (think art-house not blockbuster), and home to regular festivals throughout the year – the superb Doc/Fest is a must. The Showroom has a great bar too with live jazz on a Sunday lunchtime.

Rare & Racy Sheffield’s best second-hand bookshop and a local institution. Open for 40 years, nothing much has changed in that time, but it doesn’t need to. The warren of rooms house a wide range of books as well as prints, paintings and a great choice of music (mainly jazz, blues and the kind of thing you’ll never find on the high street).

Crucible Theatre Some of my most treasured Sheffield memories come from the Crucible Theatre. Recently reopened after a two year closure for refurbishment, it’s great to have her back. The recent programme has been brilliant; both bold and magical. With more great shows to come – I’ve already got my tickets booked for Hamlet, Enron and Northern Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

Antiques shopping I happily lose hours in the antique shops dotted around Abbeydale Road, another favourite destination. The best place to start is actually just behind Abbeydale Road – the Sheffield Antiques Centre and Sheffield Antique Emporium (across the road from each other) house a treasure trove of antique furniture, homewares, clothes and accessories.

David Mellor Country Shop, Café and Design Museum David Mellor, Royal Designer for Industry, had an international reputation as a designer, manufacturer and shopkeeper. We feel incredibly lucky to have this place on our doorstep. It’s one of the highlights of the Peak District and my favourite city escape. Design museum, café, factory and shop showcase the designs of Sheffield-born David Mellor and his son Corin, alongside a well-chosen selection of homewares. Book onto a tour of The Round Building (the award-winning circular cutlery factory) to watch the cutlery being made.

Mediterranean Restaurant My absolute favourite restaurant. Specialising in fish (the lobster is a real treat), the Mediterranean is a gem and, for me, everything a good restaurant should be – high quality, fantastically fresh food that is beautifully presented and served by incredibly friendly staff. The decor is more ‘cosy front room’ than cutting edge but it’s all the better for it. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal and the manager, Otto, a superb host.

This is just a taste of Our Favourite Places. The book can be purchased for £4 from www.ourfaveplaces.co.uk and is also available from selected venues across the city.

S heffield is a 7.9 billion pound brand. That makes us bigger than the brand value of Starbucks and Nike,”

says Moffett. “We have incredible potential. Sheffield is a city that is known for making things, a city that favours craft and ingenuity. The Sheffield brand identity is designed to reflect the city’s vibrant spirit of invention and creativity; authenticity and independence.”

“ sheffield is a 7.9 Billion pound Brand.”

Designed by Iris Associates, the geometric stencil-like ‘Sheffield’ logo really evokes this sense of craft and is a nod to Sheffield’s history. Yet it has a strong modern feel in form, colour and application. “The individual shapes within the Sheffield logo can be used to create patterns and textures for a unique visual language for the city,” explains Moffett. “The modular geometric shapes in the logo lend themselves to be deconstructed and put back together again creatively – a versatile style which will carry us confidently into the future.

“ the sheffield Brand identity is designed to reflect the city’s viBrant spirit of invention and creativity.”

The process of bidding for UK City of Culture 2013 facilitated this brand development process as it encouraged the City to consider its identity and personality and think more clearly about how the city’s values are communicated coherently to external audiences. The new brand has already begun to impact nationally through rebranded events such as the new Sheffield Food Festival, the Tramlines Music Festival and Off The Shelf.” Moffett stresses that successful place brands are a coalition between Government, Businesses and Civil Society.

“This process has been informed by a significant input from the cultural and sporting trusts, universities, businesses and other key stakeholders. We ask all those with a role in promoting the city externally to unite around this new ‘competitive identity’ which will help to build a brighter future for Sheffield.”

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Sheffield is an amazing place full of amazing stories... Brendan Moffett, Director of Strategic Marketing at Creativesheffield, explains how the city’s new brand identity will help spread these stories far and wide.

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sheffield is authentic Grounded. Unpretentious. Real. Hardworking. Sheffield places a high value on authenticity. And along with that comes a belief in genuine quality and craftsmanship. If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

sheffield creates Sheffield is not simply a place where great ideas take place. It’s a place that makes them happen, it makes ideas real. Sheffield is a city that favours craft and ingenuity, fueled by a strong spirit of creativity and innovation.

sheffield is re-imagining It’s evident in the innovative mix of new buildings and public structures and the way Sheffield is re-imagining, restoring and finding new uses for historic areas and buildings within the city.

sheffield has a strong independent spirit Sheffield isn’t trying to be like anywhere else. It’s far too busy simply being itself. This independence of thinking is what makes the city the innovative, free thinking, self-supporting place it is today.

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sheffield is an attitudeFriendly. Hardworking. Confident. Comfortable in its own skin. Sheffield is buzzing with talent and alive with new, world-leading, technologies and ideas.

sheffield always looks forwardSheffield’s future success will be determined by its dedication to serving the three main external audiences of Trade, Talent and Tourism. Sheffield is a city that never dwells on the past, our vision is firmly fixed on the future.

sheffield succeeds through honest endeavour‘Pour y parvenir a bonne foi’ it reads in stained glass in the Cutlers Hall in the city centre. This translates as ‘To succeed through honest endeavour’ a guiding principle for people who live and work in Sheffield.

sheffield feels like a personThe Sheffield brand is a feeling that’s carried around in the hearts and minds of the people of the city. It’s reflected in the way they do things. In the ideas that inspire them. The values they hold dear. The stories they tell.

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photography by shaun Bloodworth

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Michael Palin, CBE Comedian, actor, writer & presenter

growing up in sheffield, i was very much aware of the close-knit character of the city and its very strong and particular sense of identity... it gave me a fresh and unconventional outlook on life which has helped me in my creative work and Been with me ever since...things are going to happen here!

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made in 48 hours

“Entrepreneurs are like truffles,” states Doug Richard, his Californian accent hinting at only a fragment of playfulness. But Richard isn’t joking. As this supposed statement of fact comes from a former BBC TV Dragons’ Den panelist and serial entrepreneur, it might be worth listening to.

A s it turns out, there is logic to this seemingly unlikely pairing and it has little to do with an interest in rare epicurean delights.He thankfully explains: “You can’t grow them. You can only set everything up, the right conditions, and hope they can appear.”

In the midst of the most challenging economic environment experienced in a generation, we certainly need these entrepreneurs to ‘appear’. Not least in order to secure, as Chancellor George Osborne has promised, an ‘enterprise-led recovery’. Richard is adept at delivering straight-talking advice about business. It is a skill he acquired over two decades experience as an entrepreneur, on top of a reputation for hard-line capitalist values and, arguably, a rather argumentative streak.

His experience cannot be doubted and his social enterprise, School for Startups, has provided business advice to 7,000 of the UK’s entrepreneurs and small business owners in just 18 months. In 2008 he wrote The Richard Report, outlining where small business policy was going wrong and what should be done to fix it. This report is now feeding directly into coalition government policy. It is Richard’s latest mission that brings him to Sheffield, where he is launching a unique initiative which he claims will leverage the power of Britain’s small businesses and hopefully, save the UK economy – no mean feat.

the time, it seems, is ripe for growing truffles

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Sheffield will be the birthplace of this potentially “global” initiative, as the UK faces a unique situation; one that is, in Richard’s assessment, a potentially lucrative combination of “need and opportunity”. The time, it seems, is now ripe for growing truffles. “We have an economic crisis, therefore if we don’t set the stage and do everything that can be done for entrepreneurial growth and productivity growth then we’re going to find ourselves in a position where tax receipts don’t grow.”

“ the BroadBand pipes are the equivalent of the railway lines and sheffield will Be one of the train stops.”

He continues: “That is the need. There is on the other hand, an opportunity for transformation that is washing ashore right now.” Marking them out as the necessary leaders of innovation and productivity growth, the government has handed a debt laden gauntlet to entrepreneurs. “The government is now uncomfortably dependent upon a very difficult to stimulate, catalyse and manage group of people, who they cannot corral,” warns Richard. He does, of course, offer a solution. “Companies own a responsibility to themselves and all their stakeholders to do their best. If they’re in a position and they don’t know they could be doing more, then the best thing to do is educate them. It’s a tool the government can wield to its own self interest.”

Aligning this unmanageable driving force for growth with the opportunities that exist – educating them – is the task that Richard has set himself; to teach small businesses how to grow quickly by opening them up “to their digital potential”. This ambitious task is exactly what focused Richard’s attention on Sheffield – a destination he has marked out as a leader for its positive, innovative approach to stimulating business and the inspiration behind this latest initiative – Made In 48 Hours.

The inspiration is one that started with logic, The Digital Region and the vital roll-out of superfast broadband. “Installing superfast broadband is like building the railroads in the Victorian era. The towns that got the stations grew, the ones they bypassed didn’t. The broadband pipes are the equivalent of the railway lines and

Sheffield will be one of the train stops. There’s logic in going to the place that can benefit the most earliest.”

doug richard doesn’t think small and he is adamant that sheffield is the starting point for something far larger.

Richard will bring Made In 48 Hours to Sheffield as part of MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, the first national event of its kind in the UK which will be hosted in the city in September. With Made In 48 Hours, Richard will introduce small business owners to superfast broadband ahead of schedule when O2 will install a Digital Village at Sheffield Hallam University.

This two day boot-camp aims to transform 300 small businesses as quickly as possible; identifying how much impact can be made on their core functions by teaching owners how to take advantage of the digital opportunities whilst they experience the future of broadband for themselves. “You have to acknowledge the fact that most businesses have no idea how many

ways you can change to leverage the digital opportunities. It’s not merely a case of doing the fashionable social media thing. In fact it’s much more about starting with core business principles and asking, ‘how do I use the web to support these principles?” Doug Richard doesn’t think small and he is adamant that Sheffield is the starting point for something far larger. “It’s my assumption that we’re going to have a very big impact on those 300 businesses and therefore we’re proving that it can be done and that there’s a scalable opportunity. I am going to go to government and say ‘you have a rare opportunity to take advantage of this sea change

the uk doesn’t realise how powerful and strong and full of assets it is

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in capacity to teach, in what to teach and who to teach’. We could impact on 4.7 million small businesses rather than 300 and that would be an initiative that the government could profit from dearly.” In short, Sheffield has the potential to be the home of a groundbreaking new approach to how businesses function. But it is not just superfast broadband that brings Doug to Sheffield, a place he fondly declares as “the southernmost tip of the north”.

He is also impressed with the way in which the city has developed the festival, with involvement of organisations such as Creativesheffield which he sees as crucial in taking the first steps to stimulate small business growth. “Catalysing activities is the best they can hope to do, to create a stream of activity that might not otherwise have happened. The first instance of something that is unproved is a risk that most people might not otherwise take. In this instance, with MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, they have done that.”

“This should now be rolled into a private entity, they should offer more support and year two should be a private festival that succeeds because it is a successful idea, not because it needs subsidies.” Much of this success rests on Richard’s shoulders, in his ability to teach 300 businesses how to grow and how to grow quickly. His mantra is that ‘entrepreneurship can be taught and must be learned’; an arguably contentious point of view that few seasoned entrepreneurs would choose to agree with.

Yet Richard prickles at the counter argument, that entrepreneurs are simply born. “The only people who ever advocate for entrepreneurs being born are successful entrepreneurs whose egos get in the way of rational discourse,” he states, utterly and unwaveringly self-assured.

“ people can Be empowered. you’ve got to put people in a position where they feel they can do something.”

“People can be empowered. You’ve got to put people in a position where they feel they can do something. If you don’t believe that people can change, that means you believe there are no ladders out of bad opportunity, it means your circumstances are where your powers rest. If you don’t believe that, then by definition you believe that we can teach them to be entrepreneurs.”

That much, Doug Richard undoubtedly believes. This belief will put him to the test in Sheffield, a place that is, according to him, “geographically unique” and now has the chance to be ahead of the curve in this ‘enterprise-led recovery’. Richard maintains that the UK “doesn’t realise how powerful and strong and full of assets it is”. If this is the case, maybe it will take one ambitious Californian to make it realise. Indeed the challenge has been set. What remains to be seen is whether Richard is the Dragon with the firepower to do it.

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“ for entrepreneurs it’s aBout wanting to change the world and aBout Being aBsolutely determined to make something Better.”

Coffee here is served from a recycled rickshaw-come-kitchen, parked unapologetically in the centre of the busy reception. Painted with splashes of fuchsia and aqua blue, it matches the neon sign that sits above the welcome desk.

D espite the large plasma screens and buzzy atmosphere this is not, as first impressions may give,

an art gallery, nor is it a cutting edge media agency in London. It is in fact the home for training company A4E in Sheffield and a working drop-in centre for the city’s unemployed. On the other side of the room to the tuk-tuk is an equally cheery VW camper van, surrounded by soft reupholstered chairs and sitting in one, A4E’s Chair, Emma Harrison.

Flicking through a newspaper, Harrison cuts a relaxed figure with an easy smile. She is hours away from a holiday and her excitement is contagious. In fact, her enthusiasm is such that she has soon grasped a pen out of my hand and is scribbling the name of a music festival on my pad. Y-not, she explains is where she will

be taking her family to that afternoon; “to run off and hang out in a muddy field” in their very own VW camper-van – a far cry from her palatial home at Thornbridge Hall.

It quickly becomes clear that this positive attitude applies to more than just holidays. It could also be the reason her career has progressed rapidly, from running illegal tuck-shops at the age of nine, making a “total mess” of her A levels to where she sits today; a successful entrepreneur running a global training company that employs 3000 people and last year turned over a “whopping” £250m.Harrison is the embodiment of self-made success. Avoiding the obvious path and carving her own, she set her heart on studying engineering – despite the warnings that “no-one would marry her”.

After refusing to fill in the forms or meet the deadlines required for her course applications, Harrison got on a motorbike and drove directly to the University. She knocked on the door and secured a place, before gaining sponsorship in an equally defiant manner.

“ i’ve got a Billion pound target in my head, i’ve got another million people i want to help. i’m going to sort out the entire health system. i’m going to create an entire prevention Business. i’m aBsolutely determined.”

This tenacity has served Harrison well and she insists that she has “created [her] own opportunities”. “I began to realise that every time something good happened it’s because I created it, or persisted and I was developing this massive resilience.”

Resilience is something Harrison has recognised in many of the entrepreneurs she has met and the ones she does mention hold some gravitas, with Richard Branson and Duncan Bannatyne getting swift name-checks. “For entrepreneurs it’s about wanting to change the world and about being absolutely determined to make something better. They see something they don’t like the look of and they want to improve it.”

emma harrison: made in sheffield

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Harrison‘s challenge and personal mantra is, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ which she applies to both herself and demands of others, including her own children. “A lot of people will moan about things but it’s what you do next that counts. I think it comes very naturally to me. I say to my kids; life’s not fair but what are you going to do about it?“ The defining moment when this approach shaped itself into a structured plan for Harrison came twenty years ago, when she took over her father’s tiny training company.

Working as an engineer at British Steel in Sheffield, she witnessed her colleagues and production workers losing their jobs, with the only next step for them marked out as a college course starting in September.

“I thought, ‘I need to help these guys’. What if they get laid off in

January? They shouldn’t have to sit on the dole for ten months. By then they’ll be ruined. My great idea was to start something on each and every Monday. So I went to Manpower Services Commission about it and they gave me a chance.“ Before long Harrison’s training courses began everyday and quickly turned into a campaign for change.

“I would just go and bang on the door of Manpower Services Commission and ask them what they were worried about. I would go off and find out about it, work out how to sort it and go back and tell them.

“That very quickly turned A4E into a million pound business. I was, and still am, in the business of fixing things that people are worried about.” Harrison makes it all sound very simple. To her, perhaps it is but she rejects the idea that good entrepreneurs are simply

born that way. “When people say to me, ‘you’re such a good entrepreneur’ that’s rubbish. It’s called survival.”

“I still don’t think there are enough lessons in entrepreneurship. It’s all about the professions. Entrepreneurship is about being who you are whereas a profession means slotting yourself into the mould of someone else’s world. As an entrepreneur you create a world around you. You create companies in the image of you so it’s a true expression of who you are. That passion keeps you going through the tough times.”

Passion is clearly something Harrison has in droves, with a seemingly endless list of ambitious projects in the pipeline. “I’ve got a billion pound target in my head, I’ve got another million people I want to help. I’m going to sort out the entire health

system. I’m going to create an entire prevention business. I’m absolutely determined.” This much is obvious, and it seems no subject can shy away from this entrepreneur’s ambitious plans – her city included.

“I love Sheffield, it’s my city but we need to be braver. Imagine it as the leader of a business, you just said, ‘I want to be average’. I’d like to see more guts in the city,” she says, thoughtfully.

“We’ve got two universities, the biggest college in Europe and hundreds of schools. It’s not just steel that’s made in Sheffield any more. It’s all about its people, because its people are fantastic. I think tying in entrepreneurialism and education, that hallmark of quality, ‘Made in Sheffield’ – that should be on the people.

“ i Began to realise that every time something good happened it’s Because i created it, or persisted and i was developing this massive resilience.”

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There’s some fantastic people coming out of this city but we should put a stamp on them, claim them as ours and send them around the world.”

“If you were trained in Sheffield, if you were educated here then bloody hell, you must be good. That’s my vision for the city,” she states whilst holding out a tanned arm now visibly covered in goosebumps. Whether born or made, Emma Harrison is entrepreneurial in the purest sense and it certainly seems passion on this level – felt to the point of a physical reaction – is not something that can be taught.

But will enough ever be enough? “God, I haven’t even started!” She exclaims. “That’s the thing with entrepreneurs, we never think we’re good enough. The key, though, is having a lasting job that you love.”

Whether it is fear of failure or genuine love for her job that fuels her passion, Harrison is far from running on empty. For now though, this entrepreneur is focused on more pressing issues, hunting down disposable plates for a long weekend of barbecues in the Peak District. “I’m so excited!” she beams once again and, goosebumps aside, I believe her.

“ there’s some fantastic people coming out of this city But we should put a stamp on them, claim them as ours and send them round the world.”

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London, London, sheffiesheffieLd,connected. connected.

at the forefront of the digital sector, katz kiely Began to see the development of an “ecosystem”

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Katz Kiely has built a business on making connections. Seven years ago, immersed in an industry that was changing beyond recognition, it became “obvious” to her that existing ways of working were outdated.

A t the forefront of the digital sector in Sheffield, Kiely began to see the development of a “new

ecosystem” where convergence was becoming a reality and relationships in the environment were shifting. “There was going to be a revolution across media platforms and content,” she explains. “It became obvious to me that the digital industries were working sideways. The advertisers and the television people and mobile and tech, were all working within their own silos and not looking outside.” Kiely saw a need to “break down walls” and decided to open up a space where these industries could begin to work together. “What we needed was a marketplace where the most disruptive people could get together. By that I mean disruptive in the most constructive way. The kind of people who realise that change brought about by connected technologies is inevitable, the kind of people who want to learn and figure out what they can do together that they can’t do on their own.” Of course what is “obvious” to an entrepreneur is to many, groundbreaking. Kiely’s brainchild was Just-b, a company that uses digital technologies to start conversations between industries and companies, old and new, large and small. She has built a big community of the most pioneering digital entrepreneurs. Over the last five years, the b.TWEEN annual cross platform events have provided an important space where small entrepreneurial digital companies have met collaborators, commissioners, buyers and investors to explore cutting edge creative and commercial opportunities. That said, it is clear why to Kiely, the term ‘networking’ doesn’t quite cut it. “Our events are about honesty, transparency and real knowledge exchange.”

“Collaboration is all about trust. We’ve developed a methodology that helps people feel comfortable about sharing the real stories behind the marketing spin” she explains. As you’d expect from an entrepreneur that makes it her business to gather great minds

together, Kiely puts contacts and relationships high on her list of assets and like many northern entrepreneurs, she reluctantly admits that a lot of her time needs to be spent in the capital. “You need to be out there all the time. Going to meet people, finding out what the opportunities are and letting people know you’re there.” With half her working week spent in London, Kiely is a self-confessed ‘mobile worker’, using entrepreneurial members club One Alfred Place in central London as her home-away-from-home.

“ i swore i would never come Back

to sheffield. then i came Back and realised how unique it really is.”

It is where she is working when I meet her, plugged into a laptop at a dark wooden desk. Previously, working in London would mean moving from coffee shop to coffee shop and as a place to work, the club has been “invaluable” to Kiely. The benefits, however, are more than simply logistical. “I’ve met some incredibly useful people there. It is an interesting mix of people I wouldn’t normally have the chance to meet.”

Kiely is quick to dismiss the idea that One Alfred Place is just another London members club in which to socialise. Some, she claims, “are more about the shmooze”. Instead, she treats One Alfred Place as an office. “It was set up by someone who used to run their own publishing business, who understood from firsthand experience what would work for entrepreneurs who aren’t based in London. It’s important to be

able to sit down and get work done. There’s a constant buzz of people making deals.” Kiely’s dedication to building connections in London has seen b.TWEEN expand organically and what was originally a regional event has now secured serious interest from the British Film Institute, on London’s Southbank, as the 2011 venue. “In a way, it doesn’t matter where the main physical marketplace happens as it can be watched online, but there is obviously real added value to being at the physical event.” “I intend to carry on working in the north for as long as possible but I also think it would be very useful for the community to have this big opportunity.” Kiely, like many entrepreneurs, finds opportunities in London but her home is very clearly in the north. “I lived in Europe and in the South and swore I would never move back to Sheffield. Then I came back and realised how unique it really is. It has an atmosphere like nowhere else, a history of innovation and an offbeat charm that no other city has got,” she says. Whether networking in London or Sheffield, Kiely is supportive of the region and is keen to tell the right stories to those outside the city.

“We have all the key elements; the people and the talent but we don’t shout about it enough. In fact, it might take someone really visionary and entrepreneurial to get the story straight about how special Sheffield really is” she muses. In fact, it seems to strike her as obvious, but time will tell.

Sheffield’s World and European Champion, Jessica Ennis at the English Institute of Sport.

Business conferences have come a long way from dusty boardrooms and tired hotel rooms.

Across the country cities are now competing to be the prime destination for high-profile corporate

events and conventions and one thing has become clear, Sheffield means business.

space to

think

Chimney House

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B usiness conferences have come a long way from dusty boardrooms and tired hotel rooms. Across the country

cities are now competing to be the prime destination for high-profile corporate events and conventions and one thing has become clear, Sheffield means business.

Each year one million business delegates pass through the city for such events. To many they will arrive and leave unnoticed but together they bring an enormous £168million to the city. Business tourism, as it is known, is a key driver of the economy and as Manager for Sheffield’s Convention Bureau, Emma France is the woman tasked with bringing in this business, making sure Sheffield is firmly on the map as a destination of choice.

If Sheffield is the destination, it is fair to say Emma France is the city’s corporate Pied-Piper. “Tourism is big business. We are striving to position Sheffield as a major player for cutting-edge conferences. Innovative business events like MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival and high profile events like the Sports Personality of the Year 2009 and Liberal Democrats Conference 2011 are key in showing how the city can work,“ she explains.

“ innovative Business events like the made festival and high profile events like the sports personality of the year and the liBeral democrats conference are key in showing how the city can work.”

It is estimated that the Liberal Democrats Conference, which will be held in March 2011 will be worth £1million to the city alone but, as France explains, high-profile events like this have been only part of the story. The city has built an impressive portfolio of successful business conferences, hosting for large companies like O2, KIA, Red Bull and John Lewis.

It has also carved out a name for hosting international research based events, based on a long-standing reputation for innovation and industry. Events such as the International Workshop on Recrystalisation and Grain Growth or the UK Polymer Showcase would leave most people nonplussed. It goes without saying that these are niche events but they are also at the forefront of their industry and bring hundreds of international delegates to the city each year.

These events are hugely beneficial for the city as a whole, being both drawn by the physical and economic regeneration of the city but also fuelling major developments. “Sheffield is world class at delivering major events and this has given us an enviable infrastructure. The wider regeneration of Sheffield is crucial to the tourism offering.“ The city has certainly seen rapid development, with improvements to the rail station and Heart of the City making lasting impressions on those who visit.

“This pattern of regeneration driving the tourism product is something that has transformed UK cities over the last 10 years, particularly in the North of England and Sheffield is fortunate to have some fantastic developments.People are always impressed when they get here and I can honestly say that in nearly 10 years hosting people in Sheffield I have never had anyone who didn’t leave with a positive impression.” In her current role, France has dedicated the last six years to creating these positive impressions and selling Sheffield as a place to do business.

As one of the many people who arrived as a student and couldn’t quite bear to leave, her sales pitch for the city comes from a genuine appreciation of what it can offer.

“I get to travel all around the UK to convince high profile organisers to come to a city I love. Anyone in sales will know how hard some things can be to sell but Sheffield is an easy sell, once people are in the city.”

France admits that Sheffield hasn’t always been on the forefront of minds for conferencing. Yet she is seeing a shift in perceptions, not least because of the work of people within the city.“Over the last five years Sheffield has appeared more on the location agenda. We are fortunate to have lots

of clients who help us tell the story of Sheffield’s great product and give it that stamp of approval.”

“We effortlessly deal with 1000s of people coming into the city one day and gone the next and this gives us a reputation for delivering excellent events time and time again,” she explains confidently. “If we can accommodate 50,000 visitors for a U2 Concert, the organiser of a 3000 delegate conference can rest assured that their delegates with be looked after.”

France knows that every detail makes a difference. With 40% of all business delegates returning as leisure visitors the difference is up to 40,000 visitors to the city each year – so the pressure is on. Sheffield hasn’t always been one to sing its own praises, but with a growing number of large-scale events, its reputation is growing.

“ we effortlessly deal with 1000s of people coming into the city one day and gone the next and this gives us a reputation for delivering excellent events time and time again.”

France is confident that Sheffield can be at the forefront of the business tourism industry, capitalising on its developing physical assets and dedicated teams of people working within the city. “We have some of the best venues in the country and some of the largest in Yorkshire and we are working hard to let more people know about them. There is a real team effort to drive business, service and success in Sheffield. When a joint effort is needed, everyone in Sheffield is ready and willing.”

“ people are always impressed when they get here and i can honestly say that in nearly 10 years hosting people in sheffield i have never had anyone who didn’t leave with a positive impression.”

Chatsworth House

Ponds Forge

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N ow Sheffield is moving into next generation hospitality and is set to open a new next generation Holiday Inn

Express hotel in the Victoria Quays area of Sheffield as soon as summer 2011 – the first of its kind in a major UK City. The stylish hotel will be fitted out to a higher specification than a standard Holiday Inn Express, featuring an aesthetically pleasing redesigned interior and top quality bathrooms.

So, in times of such austerity, why has Holiday Inn, the leading global brand in the ‘limited service’ hotels sector, chosen Sheffield in which to launch its first UK next generation hotel in a major UK City? In short, customer demand. Sheffield currently lacks this leading hotel brand and was therefore best placed to secure a new next generation Holiday Inn Express hotel. This, coupled with David Cameron’s recent plea to UK citizens encouraging Britons to holiday within the country for the benefit of our local economies, will help support tourism in the City.

The UK domestic holiday and short break tourism markets are now on

the up, partially due to a decrease in confidence in airlines and other travel companies; and a decrease in discretionary spend due to the volatility of the economy. Largely, however, this is in response to a favourable and attractive tactical offer targeted at leisure and hospitality consumers in the UK.

“ the city has a proven resilience and continues to develop and transform despite economic uncertainty.”

By autumn 2011, Sheffield will be set to capitalise on this with the new up-to-the-minute seven storey hotel aimed at value-conscious tourists and business visitors alike who have come to expect next generation quality in Sheffield.

The Olympic Games 2012 also provides a valuable opportunity for Sheffield to play host to an international clientele. As the Holiday Inn and the Holiday Inn Express are the official hotel provider of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and are a brand recognised and trusted around the world, the new Holiday Inn Express

hopes to be at the forefront of this. The new hotel will be operated by the existing Sheffield owners of the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria, therefore benefitting from economies of scale and a valuable knowledge and experience of the Sheffield hospitality market.

Hermann Beck, Managing Director of the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria, espouses enthusiasm and confidence in the project: “We can make it work for Sheffield and our business. Sheffield has a strong, developing tourism offer in terms of its heritage, cultural offer and corporate proposition as well as its proximity to the Peak District National Park. The city has a proven resilience and continues to develop and transform despite economic uncertainty. We have faith in the solidity of the city which is why we have chosen to invest here.

“The new hotel also really adheres to the city’s ethos of innovation and quality so where better to launch this new next generation product than right here in Sheffield?”

sheffield, the next generation

Next generation broadband, next generation office space, next generation manufacturing... Sheffield: synonymous with transformation and innovation.

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A sprawling glass building, covering 1.5million square feet and housing some 280 retail outlets; the Meadowhall shopping centre has garnered significant

interest over its 20 year history – with infamous nicknames to match. Its distinctive green dome is now a commercial icon of South Yorkshire, with the centre ranking second only to Bluewater in the UK’s hierarchy of super regional shopping centres. Attracting 25 million visitors annually and with the retail sector remaining strong in the face of the economic recession, the once great evil for Sheffield City Centre, charged with stealing footfall and trade, has become a undeniably powerful asset.

Centre Director, Darren Pearce “lives and breathes” Meadowhall. He has spent the last 16 years working within those glass walls and two in his current position, as the man responsible for meeting hundreds of potential investors each year. Pearce’s approach to the centre’s business is one based on driving collaborations between the centre and the city as a whole and he sees his responsibility as one with potentially huge benefits to the region. “Meadowhall helps to improve the overall perception of Sheffield, by joining up the key assets of the city and working together we can create more momentum in the city and drive things forward.”

the once great evil for sheffield city centre, charged with stealing footfall and trade, has Become a undeniaBly powerful asset.

“Sheffield has lots of amazing key assets that are incredibly compelling. What I have seen in the recession is that organisations have started coming together a bit more for the benefit of the whole city.” A self-proclaimed ‘ambassador for the city’ his vision is to improve perception nationally and capitalise on investment opportunities. “Investors and visitors to the city are impressed by the fresh retail line-up and they are impressed with the city in general once they arrive, but there is still this problem with perception. Sheffield has incredible

stories and Meadowhall is just one component of the bigger picture. We need to make sure those great stories are being told to improve people’s expectations.”

“ sheffield has lots of amazing key assets that are incrediBly compelling. what i have seen in the recession is that organisations have started coming together a Bit more for the Benefit of the whole city.”

In the last two years, Pearce has overseen a restructuring of the business, which has led to a streamlining of the management team and the recruitment of directors with backgrounds in retail, operations and marketing. This expands Meadowhall’s offer beyond a retail destination and positions it as an intrinsic part of the city-wide vision. “We’re not necessarily delivering an event but we can create real momentum for the city. Our huge visitor numbers mean we can be a real driver behind events such as MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival or bid processes for UK City of Culture 2013, which are essential in bringing key

sheffield’s dramatic transformation over recent years has caused ripples at home and aBroad.

20 years of a sheffield icon

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stakeholders in the city together.” Meadowhall’s image has evolved over its 20-year history, undergoing multi-million pound refurbishments and improving its brand offering with names including LK Bennett, Phase 8, L’occitane and Yo Sushi! Pearce’s ongoing work with Meadowhall has been rewarded in record levels of investment, something he puts down

to “working smarter” throughout the recession. He explains: “It sounds simple but we have aligned our retail line-up with our customer base and taken it back to basics. We manage the environment and align our offer with the shoppers needs.” Meadowhall now contracts out an impressive 99.1% of its floorspace, evidence of Pearce’s “smarter” work in action but this is not restricted to the centre alone.

“ in the last 15 months we have had a rise in valuation of £124 million.”

“The key message is that organisations need to work more holistically across the city, becoming more effective in what they do then they will ride out the storm,” he explains. “Our footfall is sustained and average spend is up. Stakeholders have invested over half a billion

pounds in us and we are a key asset in the UK economy. In the last 15 months we have had a rise in valuation of £124 million. All this says we must be doing something right.” It is difficult to argue with such impressive figures, nor with the ethos of “togetherness” that Pearce has instilled in his time as Centre Director.

Rather than competing across the city, there is now a clear drive from stakeholders towards working together, harnessing assets such as Meadowhall to improve perceptions of the region nationwide – putting Pearce’s own brand of thinking “smarter” to the test.

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It’s a story that starts with a hell of a lot of rabbits and the shared love of a good laugh.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for Toby Foster’s interview with “an absolute out and out

nutcase”, Sheffield could be a very different place come Autumn.Comedian and radio presenter, Foster is co-founder of Grin Up North - Sheffield’s Comedy Festival, along with Scott Barton, founder of Sheffield’s Yellow Bus Events Ltd.“I first met Scott when I went to interview some nutcase for BBC Radio Sheffield, who had bred three garages full of rabbits, it was like some rabbit cryogenics thing. “Really, I should have probably ended the association there.”

from this madness came triumphant success, when foster and Barton put their heads together and realised there was a gaping hole in sheffield’s event calendar.

From this madness came triumphant success, when Foster and Barton put their heads together and

realised there was a gaping hole in Sheffield’s event calendar.“We basically got talking about how there should be a comedy festival in Sheffield. I mentioned how good I would be at getting it done and how everybody would remember what a genius I was... all I really needed was somebody who could make phone calls,“ Foster jokes, a well-meaning jibe that is indicative of the duo’s relationship.“It was as simple as that, and 18 months later we launched the first one.” Foster and Barton are the epitome of a laid-back no-nonsense Sheffield outlook. But it’s an image that shouldn’t fool you.

They know their business – Foster has been responsible for Yorkshire’s longest running comedy club for twenty years - and the success of Grin Up North speaks volumes.The duo claim that the first year “was done on the back of a fag packet” but many would argue it was never a small affair with Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr and Ross Noble headlining the inaugural festival. It’s this authenticity and ambition, along with their deep knowledge of the comedy industry with

which Barton and Foster have built the festival’s success.

It is now in its sixth year and has become the largest in England. Currently a month long, it attracted over 80,000 people last year with an economic impact of just over £5m.“There’s a strong comedy heritage in Sheffield,” says Barton. “Right from the outset people have been up for it. The audiences here are so positive.”Foster agrees. “It’s the best city in the country to be working in comedy,” he says. “Through this recession all we’ve seen is attendance growing. People want to come out and have a laugh. It’s like going back to the old days of a working men’s club, hanging out in a place where you know everybody. People really want that togetherness.

it is now in its sixth year and has Become the largest in england. currently a month long, it attracted over 80,000 people last year with an economic impact of Just over £5m.

The festival continues to pull in big names, with this year’s impressive roster of acts including Al Murray, Jimmy Carr and Dara O’Briain. But Foster thinks that the smaller acts are just as important. “Without the big names there’s no festival, but without the small names there’s no festival either,” he says. “It’s all about the mixture. It’s so amazing when you see people who have had their socks knocked off by someone they’ve never seen before. It works because I’m on the other side of the microphone, so we run the business from a comic’s point of view. This makes the comedians happier which means they’ll come back and do more shows.” There is now much more to Grin up North than getting a few laughs, with over half the st

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ticket-holders travelling from outside the city. “It’s great for Sheffield, in terms of both the economic impact and more intangible things like Sheffield’s image. In the last few years there has been an increasing recognition of the powers of the city and there is a real bedrock of things happening.”

Barton and Foster have built the festival on passion but also appreciate the help that small businesses are given in Sheffield: “We’re not a big corporate machine. The support from the city is there but they also let you get on with it. That is important because at the end of the day, they don’t know what we do about running a comedy festival.”Self-confessed entrepreneurs, the pair assert that they “made their own luck”.

“ last year i went to a gig every night, and then got up at 5am to do the Breakfast show on BBc radio sheffield.”

“I never remember making a decision to do anything that I’ve ended up doing, most of the things we’ve ended up doing have started with a daft idea but I don’t think that if somebody else had done it that they would have the success we have.”Despite the huge success of the festival, Foster admits that the journey has not been easy.

“It was very difficult to begin with and it remains so. It’s hard to book the kind of acts that we do, and get them all up here at the same time.It is utterly exhausting. Last year I went to a gig every night, and then got up at 5am to do the breakfast show on BBC Radio Sheffield. One of the reasons we’ve gone for a full month this year is that it was almost too much going on at the same time for people.”

The pair remain enthusiastic, as Barton explains, “We want to put on a great festival, we want to enjoy what we do. The irony of it is that we get about two hours actual enjoyment out of the whole thing!But if we were entrepreneurs that just wanted to make a lot of money we probably would have gone into a different business. It’s not about making a fortune, it’s the passion that drives you.”

“ we want to put on a great festival, we want to enJoy what we do. the irony of it is that we get aBout two hours actual enJoyment out of the whole thing!”

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in June 2010, sheffield celeBrated its first ever food festival. the festival unearthed an intriguing community of growing food Brands–all Brimming with that ‘can-do’ sheffield attitude and entrepreneurial spirit.

tasty starters

‘Made in Sheffield’ doesn’t get much more delicious than this!

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Jez Daughtry founded the Sheffield Honey Company in early 2010 and now, only a few months on, he employs over 2.5 million workers in the city − more than any other company in the world... However, the difference is that Jez employs honey bee workers.

S o why did Jez, who had built a successful IT career having worked for some big names such as Siemens and IBM,

choose to give it all up to pursue a life of bee farming?

Jez explains: “I always had a personal interest in beekeeping going back to when I was a child. But my IT career kept me far too busy to pursue it as a hobby or otherwise. All my life I have looked for new commercial opportunities and then during 2008 I started to look at honey production with a commercial eye too, looking for a new angle – a force of habit.”

“ it’s not simply a case of turning on a light BulB – it takes a lot of planning and the growth has to Be very organic – especially given the suBJect matter.”

“Things suddenly changed dramatically when I was made redundant in early 2009. It sounds really cliché but I found myself reviewing my life, including my IT career, and saw it as an opportunity to make some big changes. I considered the idea of making my beekeeping ‘hobby’ a commercial operation. The challenge was that it would always be a long game.

“ i knew that Branding and marketing was going to Be pertinent to the success of the product and the service that we offer and, as soon as that name was forged, i Just knew it would work.”

It’s not simply a case of turning on a light bulb – it takes a lot of planning and the growth has to be very organic – especially given the subject matter.”

“Something just sparked around February 2010 when we came up with the name The Sheffield Honey Company. I loved this name. It communicates: a connection to Sheffield, heritage and consistency, quality, and a very personal link to people. I knew that branding and marketing was going to be pertinent to the success of the product and the service that we offer and, as soon as that name was forged, I just knew it would work. “The Sheffield Honey Company is the UK’s only full-time ‘Urban’ based commercial honey producing operation – a story in itself.”

So, what does the future hold for The Sheffield Honey Company? “The priority is not to follow but to lead in terms of setting the standard. I really believe this and it’s the reason for starting this project in the first place,” continues Jez. “We have been exploring a wide variety of innovative new products, services and packaging solutions which I hope will raise the bar on what is seen as quality produce. We also plan to challenge the norm of beekeeping, taking beekeeping into new areas in 2011... watch this space!”

Jez daughtry’s tips for entrepreneurs:

— If you’re considering a change of direction then be passionate about your idea regardless of what it is. Live it. Breathe it. I know from experience that people warm to anyone they can believe in.

— I think a good entrepreneur (and I don’t know if I am one) spots the opportunities that others never even consider. They wrap a business plan around that idea and see if it floats — at least that’s what I do!

the sheffield honey company

“ i always had a personal interest in Beekeeping going Back to when i was a child. then during 2008 i started to look at honey production with a commercial eye too, looking for a new angle – a force of haBit.”

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This has been the philosophy of Cliffe House Farm in Sheffield for the last 60 years − encouraging people to support their local dairies. With dairy farms disappearing in the UK at a rate of four each day, Cliffe House Farm is now one of just a handful of dairy farms left in the city.

B ut how has Eddie Andrew, of Cliffe House Farm and founder of Our Cow Molly ice cream, managed to

breathe life, excitement and modernity back into what is a declining trade? “I was born on the farm, which has been in the family for over 60 years. I was helping my Dad to feed the cows by the time I could walk. Farming was, and still is, in my blood. I left home at the age of 16 to train as an Agricultural Engineer which I then pursued for 15 years,” says Eddie.

“The UK’s dairy industry is declining at a worrying rate. In the last 10 years the UK has lost 50% of its dairy farms which is partly due to the

“ due to its reputation for the finest ice cream in the world, we imported some top quality machines over from italy which featured recipes explaining how to make the Best product.”

supermarkets importing milk cheaply then pasteurising it in the UK and legally selling it as British milk to their customers. This is a shocking statistic and, as a result of this, the UK’s dairy industry has suffered and so has my family’s farm. We therefore set about thinking of different ways in which we

could add value to the milk produced on our farm. After a year of research, we decided to tap into the burgeoning premium ice cream market.” “Due to its reputation for the finest ice cream in the world, we imported some top quality machines over from Italy which featured recipes explaining how to make the best product. However, the Italian manufacturers and I were stumped when every attempt I made to make ice cream failed as the mixture wouldn’t set. A fault finder was flown over from Italy to investigate and, following two full days of experimentation, he came to the conclusion that, due to the clover grass that our cows eat, the milk and cream were in fact too high quality!”

“Determined as ever, I employed a chemist to come and work with us to decipher how we could get the recipe to balance. After a month of research and development involving expert Italian knowledge and complex chemistry, we had created a recipe which was radically different to other ice cream manufacturers across the world and Our Cow Molly Ice Cream was born.”

Our Cow Molly, which is licensed to use the Made in Sheffield mark of quality, has continued to grow from strength to strength and is recognised across the region. The open days at the farm have been a roaring success, none more so than the Sheffield Food Festival climax where Our Cow Molly and Sheffield University smashed the Guinness World Record for the fastest ice cream ever made in the world at their food festival event. From a very modest 4 flavours in June 2007 sold from the porch of the cottage

our cow molly, which is licensed to use the made in sheffield mark of quality, has continued to grow from strength to strength and is recognised across the region.

Eddie lives in, to their current custom-made ice cream parlour with over 30 flavours based on the farm, Our Cow Molly has come a long way with a steely determination to go even further and sell over 100,000 little tubs into Sheffield by the end of 2010.

eddie andrew’s tips for entrepreneurs:

— Word of mouth is the best promotional tool. At Our Cow Molly we feel it’s important to ensure that the businesses and people who sell our ice cream understand our brand values of Sheffield home grown quality. Therefore, we invite them all for a day at the farm to see the cows and the dairy. These people have become committed ambassadors for our product and, as a result, we don’t need to employ sales staff!

— Appearance is everything! The branding and packaging of the product is one of the most important elements. People are often surprised to hear that we don’t have a marketing team. Our branding and communications are very honest and come directly from the heart of our company reflecting our brand values.

our cow mollyour cow molly

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S hake Aletti have come a long way since Tramlines ‘09, the festival that “kicked off” their live career and marked

a defining point at which people began to take them seriously. This summer they brought their own brand of ‘popfunk’ to the headline stage, along with 40 cheerleaders, to play an 8000-strong crowd.

“Tramlines was amazing,” Steve, one half of the neon-clad duo enthuses.“It was huge for us last year. And to come and play the main stage this year rather than the clubs really meant a lot. But it wasn’t just the performance, the whole weekend was a solid highlight, the whole vibe of it.”

“ it’s always Been heralded as a great place for music and i think it’s as strong as it’s ever Been. there’s so much stuff coming through, loads of Bands that are Just BuBBling along Just like us.”

Mixing synths, guitars, keyboards and a talkbox, Shake Aletti create dance tracks that have been described as both ‘indefinable’ and ‘knowingly cheesy’. “We never set out to be cheesy with our music,” says Steve. “Our one aim is to have fun. We have a lot of fun making it and we

have a lot of fun performing it and that comes across. A lot of the lyrics are really cheeky. I think these days people are too serious about music.” Serious Shake Aletti are not but the music they play is borne from a solid dedication to their art. The pair met whilst both studying music in Leeds. ‘Technically minded’ Sheffield-lad, Steve was already putting demos together and was looking for someone to play gigs with when he met ‘G’, aka Gareth and Shake Aletti was born.

They quickly moved back to Sheffield where their electro-influenced funk, influenced by XXX and Parliament, made them a favourite on the gig circuit. “We’re really lucky to have such strong support in the city but we try not to do too many gigs here because people can get bored,” says Steve. That said, their appreciation for the musical heritage in Sheffield is clear and Shake Aletti have no doubt benefitted from the city’s collaborative attitude to music.

“Any time we speak to anybody they always say that A&R’s always come to Sheffield. It’s a hot-spot and they expect things to be happening here.It’s always been heralded as a great place for music and I think it’s as strong as it’s ever been. There’s so much stuff coming through, loads of bands that are just bubbling along just like us.”

‘technically minded’ sheffield-lad, steve was already putting demos together and was looking for someone to play gigs with when he met ‘g’, aka gareth and shake aletti was Born.

The band have been working closely with Steel-city export Toddla T, collaborating on tracks for both his debut and second album along with the likes of Roots Manuva and Serocee. Fresh from playing the BBC Introducing Main Stage at Sonar, they have now also worked with and remixed artists including Bat for Lashes, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, and Roisin Murphy.

Not a bad CV for a band barely off the starting blocks. They are now gearing up for the release of their first single, Dancefloor, which will be out on 25 October at which point they will be set to work on promotion, gigging “up and down the country solidly”. The second single is set for release early next year and in-between studio time and writing for “major labels” in London, the band show little sign of slowing down so it goes without saying the Mercury Prize recommended band are one to watch for 2011.

An interview with...

shake aletti

“ Shake Aletti have come a long way since Tramlines ‘09, the festival that “kicked off” their live career...”

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Sheffield the most flexible working city in the uk

Recent research conducted by Orange UK put Sheffield as the leading ‘Flexi-Town’ in Britain, with 32% of the city’s companies offering flexible working.

That’s over twice as many as other cities like Liverpool and Brighton. The results, based on a YouGov survey, show that 72% of businesses believe flexible working boosts company morale and more than half think it improves productivity and staff retention. For those companies based in the city, the news comes as no surprise. “We have a very positive staff experience in Sheffield, strong links with local organisations and our staff turnover rates are very low enabling us to deliver high quality, cost effective services.” Tracey Moore, Operations Director at Capita

www.welcometosheffield.co.uk

the four ruffian poetsThe Crookes are no more named after a bunch of petty thieves than they are born and bred Sheffielders, if truth be known.

S aying that, like many people who arrive in the city, they have taken it on as their own and hail it as their hometown whenever their music is celebrated – which is becoming a rather regular

occurrence. Somewhat stereotypically, the four ruffian poets – Alex Saunders, Daniel Hopewell, George Waite and Russell Bates – studied English Literature at Sheffield University and it is on the dance-floor of the infamous student night, Fuzz Club, that they first met in 2008.

As would be expected, they have been compared to the Arctic Monkeys – albeit a middle class leafy-suburban version. They are less gritty, more cheery and twee than the Monkeys, drawing on jangly folk-inflected sounds of the Housemartins or the Mystery Jets. A far cry from the bleepy, electronic sounds of Warp records and traditional Sheffield sounds, they have instant appeal for the scores of indie fans borne out of the Libertines reign.

Their lyrics tell aspirational stories, an eloquent voice delivered beautifully by frontman George, who Radio One’s new music guru described as having one of those “special, poetic voices.“ After inclusion in the NME On the Radar section, The Guardian’s Band of the Day and further backing by Lamacq, their debut single Chorus of Fools was released last September. It was the fastest selling single through the record label.

their lyrics tell aspirational stories, an eloquent voice delivered Beautifully By frontman george, who radio one’s new music guru descriBed as having one of those “special, poetic voices “

They’ve even got the backing of Sheffield music-heavyweights like Richard Hawley, who described them simply as ‘absolutely superb’ and Noel Gallagher is happy to group them with a strong history of Sheffield bands saying: “They’ve got good lyrics, all bands from Sheffield have good lyrics.”

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Formed out of bands with certified Steel-city pedigrees, it was inevi-table that when they joined forces, the city’s watchful eyes would be on Mabel Love.

T heir experiences in their former outfits have coloured their approach to the current set-up and when lead singer

Richard Rice explains the vision, it is less about smash-hit records and more about “making every second of every song count”. It’s hard to argue with their ethic.

“ in terms of inspirations i love early u2 and pink floyd, that soundscape music, But i was scared of ripping it off.”

“Sheffield means a lot to us but we want to do more than just impress our friends,” explains ‘Ricey’, as his mates know him. Mabel Love are also Dan Whitehouse, George Moran and David Mitchell who, whilst paying respect to the musical heritage of the city, have tried to set themselves apart. “I don’t think we’ve got a Sheffield sound. I mean we’re from Sheffield and I’ve played with all those bands, the Sheffield talent, and I grew up with it,” continues Ricey.

“We want to be a bit braver though. I think the difference is we’ve really sat down and thought about what

we want to do.” Their ‘sound’ comes partially from Ricey’s own self-taught style. As the main songwriter he cites Echo and the Bunnymen and Nick Cave as influences and it is a clear shift away from the social commentary that has become so synonymous with the city.

“I try to think about what I’m singing about – I’m not kitchen-sink drama. In terms of inspirations I love early U2 and Pink Floyd, that soundscape music, but I was scared of ripping it off.” Luckily for Ricey, they have carved their own identity, emulating the ‘big’ sounds that they admire but within their own parameters.

“The guitarist used to play more with beats, electro and that kind of thing so that’s fed into what we play. As the writer it is heavily influenced by my style but everyone brings something to the table.” Despite their previous successes the band were keen to start from the beginning with Mabel Love, playing small gigs and building their reputation slowly.

“We try to do it every other month. So we don’t overkill it and we put really good bands on to play with us, sometimes at the risk of being upstaged. “We want to make each gig an event.” Something is working, with strong fan bases across the UK in Scotland, Preston and Newcastle, but Ricey is happy to take it slow. “We’ve tried to learn our trade on the road.

I’d love to make it my living doing what I love but a lot of bands want to be the biggest band in the world. I think we’ve had our superstar bands for the next few years. I’d much rather have a cult status to be honest.”

“ we want to Be a Bit Braver though. i think the difference is we’ve really sat down and thought aBout what we want to do.”

This self-awareness and steady approach is indicative of their attitude to their music.“ It’s about the songs at the end of the day. We’ve stopped and thought about it, had some breathing space and write good songs. Let’s slow it down, pick the best parts and make every second count.”

Keeping themselves busy with gigs and writing, Ricey is seeing a gap in the market for the next wave of guitar bands and the band are now set for a tour with The Violens before supporting The Drums on their northern leg. If Ricey is right, this is a wave that they are building momentum to catch on to.

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B ut anyone with knowledge of the city’s musical heritage might have known there was little chance of

it remaining that way.

This summer over 125,000 people descended on the city, packing into 50 venues to see 250 bands for the festival’s second year – tripling the number of visitors it drew in 2009.

Devonshire Green’s main stage area held a crowd of 8,000 and queues of people snaked through the streets.On Sunday, post-pub favourite, Devonshire Chippy ran out of potatoes and if that’s not a sign of a successful weekend in the city, nothing is.

James O’Hara, as one of the team leading the festival, is one of the people tasked with pulling it together. This is no mean feat, especially when added to his work as co-founder of The Bowery bar and venue club-night, Threads and a music management company of the same name. As a music-lover in the city, James O’Hara is the most entrepreneurial kind.

“One of the aims for the festival was to reinvigorate the independent bars and venues in the summertime. We are heavily committed to promoting what’s happening in the city every weekend. That’s what it’s for, to show Sheffield is a vibrant place.” O’Hara is a self-proclaimed ‘patriot’ of the city and it seems with Tramlines his passion has been rewarded. Now unrivalled in the number of visitors it brings to the city, the festival couldn’t be a better showcase for what it has to offer. “I think it’s a proud city and we’ve tapped into that. We started it because we were proud of the city anyway and that has shone through. You get musicians who have lived here all their life saying this is the best thing to happen in Sheffield. The people who have lived here all their life, for them to say it’s the best thing ever, it’s great.”

“ tramlines put a spotlight on it all and people appreciate it. there’s always unique type of Bands coming from sheffield. they’ve always got something a little Bit different aBout them - not your average meat and two veg.”

This year saw the calibre of acts reach new heights with Echo and the Bunnymen, Simian Mobile Disco, Tinchy Stryder and the Mystery Jets all performing sets on the main stage. With national acts headlining, the festival took on a new identity but O’Hara is adamant it is still championing the city’s talent.“The national acts attract more people, which in terms of your local bands is better for them because there are more new faces in the city to appreciate them. “We actually put on more local Sheffield bands this year than the first year and the unsigned Sheffield bands always do

themselves proud. People come out of it glowing.” 200 of the 250 bands playing were homegrown talent, which is in part testament to the variety of musical talent in the city and equally indicative of the support that exists for them.

“When you go to some cities, it’s invariably four kids in a band. Your producers and DJs from Sheffield and the leftfield electro scene are very much alive. Tramlines put a spotlight on it all and people appreciate it. There’s always unique type of bands coming from Sheffield.

They’ve always got something a little bit different about them – not your average meat and two veg.”

“ i think it’s a proud city and we’ve tapped into that. we started it Because we were proud of the city anyway and that has shone through.”

Unsurprisingly for an event of its size, Tramlines has quickly become about more than the music. “The economic impact is in the millions, The Bowery was up 400% over the

weekend and it’s not just the bars that make money. “The retail units have record weekends; each independent sandwich shop and café. There is a genuine benefit to the city.” Whilst the festival is now bringing in these sums of money, there is still one thing that clearly sets Tramlines apart from other key music festivals – it is free. In today’s belt-tightening climate this is warmly welcomed and according to O’Hara has a huge effect on the festival. “I think it’s the most financially naïve festival in Britain. The atmosphere is amazing.

As an idea dreamt up over a pint, Tramlines was a small venue-based festival in Sheffield city centre.

TRAMLINES TRAMLINES TAkES ov ovER

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So, for example, even though the queues are long, which is perhaps the biggest problem because it is free, there’s a great attitude from everyone. “If you paid for a ticket people would be going nuts but because it’s free people get on with it and go somewhere else. There’s just loads going on so there’s always somewhere to go.”

O’Hara puts the festival’s current position well ahead of the game in his initial five year plan. With the festival growing at such a fast rate, attracting national headline acts and this year nearly 50,000 from outside the city, will it be a struggle to keep it this way? The festival is currently partly funded by the Council; something that O’Hara is keen to move away from in the future.

the festival is now one of the Biggest tourism attractions in the city’s event calendar.

“I don’t want the festival to become political but when there’s nurses and teachers jobs at risk a free music festival isn’t a priority. We’re not that arrogant,” he explains cautiously. “In an ideal world it would be free and we’d have bigger corporate sponsors. I don’t want to take money off the council when it’s a rough time.”

O’Hara makes a good case. The festival this year worked out as a cost

of 28pence per Sheffield resident, as O’Hara puts it “the same price as a bag of crisps”. “There is a dilemma for the festival,” he explains, “because it’s free you have to be careful how to program it. “You can’t get certain bands here if 250,000 people are going to turn up. The festival has to grow to allow us to put bigger bands on,” he says, alluding perhaps to one big name band in particular. “We don’t want to become so big that we have to start charging and we don’t want safety scares. ”The festival is now one of the biggest tourism attractions in the city’s event calendar.”

Understandably it has the logistical requirements to match and work on Tramlines 2011 is already underway. As O’Hara puts it: “it can take over your life.“ Despite the size Tramlines has maintained it’s Steel-city identity. “It’s very apparent that the city is run by people in Sheffield. It’s representative of the city.”

“Sheffield can be quite pig-headed,” O’Hara states. “Maybe a bit arrogant. The fact is that the city is such an independent place and doesn’t look elsewhere for inspiration because we create our own thing.” With the number of bands making waves within the city, there seems to be little chance of that changing and you get the impression that even if Tramlines continues along the same path, and growing at the pace it has, O’Hara will make sure it is stamped with the Sheffield seal of approval.

“ the unsigned sheffield Bands always do themselves proud. people come out of it glowing.”

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MARCH Galvanise

This annual festival celebrates the skills of the silversmiths and jewellers, the designers and makers who carry on a proud tradition in Sheffield and includes exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops and events.

APRIL Sensoria

Sensoria is the UK’s festival of film and music. Sensoria’s natural home is Sheffield – a city renowned for its creative and technical innovation and one rich in musical heritage.

APRIL-MAY World Snooker Championships (Crucible Theatre)

The climax of snooker’s annual calendar and the most important snooker event of the year in terms of prestige, prize money and world ranking points.

Peak District Walking Festival

Set amid an extraordinary range of landscapes, the Peak District Walking Festival includes a wide range of over 100 walks over 10 days, with local experts leading walks on themes such as food and drink, ghosts, heritage and geology.

JUNE-JULY Sheffield Children’s Festival

This two-week festival provides more than 20,000 children and young people from more than 130 Sheffield schools with the opportunity to develop their creativity and to take part in a range of cultural activities.

JUNE-SEPTEMBER Wednesday Night Live

Every Wednesday throughout the summer, shops and attractions will be opening late, bars and restaurants will be offering special deals.

JULY Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger is one of the UK’s largest outdoor pursuits festivals, based in one of Sheffield’s biggest green spaces. The aim of the event is to inspire and involve.

Tramlines

Sheffield’s own urban Glastonbury. Free music events across the city and a wide programme of other city centre events such as markets, the Sheffield wheel and a giant picnic.

SEPTEMBER Art in the Gardens

Art in the Gardens is a unique event taking place in Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are transformed into an art and craft village, where visitors can enjoy and purchase all the fine exhibits on display. 350 artists and craftsmen exhibit more than 4,000 pieces of work attracting up to 20,000 visitors.

OCTOBER Grin up North

Born out of Sheffield’s love of a good laugh, this month long celebration of the very best in UK and international comedy includes a rib tickling blend of stand up, funny films, comic quizzes, lectures and general larking about.

Off the Shelf

Sheffield’s annual celebration of writing and reading offers over 150 events including workshops, walks, talks, readings, poetry, competitions, storytelling, exhibitions and appearances by many leading writers.

OCTOBER Fright Night

Fright Night is Britain’s biggest Halloween party, attracting up to 40,000 people each year to Sheffield city centre!

NOVEMBER After Dark

After Dark is Yorkshire’s top Fireworks Spectacular. Held at the Don Valley Bowl, the event was established in 1996 and now offers live music, a funfair, bonfire, food stalls, bar, fire spinners and a massive fireworks display set to music.

Doc/Fest

Sheffield Doc/Fest takes place over five intense days in November and includes a film festival, an industry session programme and marketplace, pitching opportunities, discussion panels and in-depth filmmaker masterclasses. Doc/Fest will be moving to June in 2011.

Open Studios

Every year, Yorkshire Artspace’s studio holders throw open their doors to the public for their annual Open Studios weekend. Each year the event proves more popular with nearly 900 visitors to Persistence Works and Porter Brook Studios in November 2009.

what’s on in

sheffieldFor more information visit www.eventsheffield.com

+ 44 (0)114 223 2345 WWW.creativesheffield.co.uk info@creativesheffield.co.uk

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