Dear readers — we are buzzing! Yesterday, we hit the goal we’ve been working towards all year: Three thousand paying members. Thank you so much to each and every one of you. In fact we went so far over the target that the counter on our website couldn't cope with the strain, and has now gone for a long lie down. We’ll dust it down again when we’re getting near 4,000…
A special thanks to Alex Bear, who became our 3,000th member yesterday afternoon. We asked him for a photo and he was happy to oblige:
Alex, that dog is adorable.
It was a glorious end to the week, one in which two of our team were shortlisted at the British Journalism Awards, and Mollie Simpson took home the prize. To see such a huge swell of support from people getting behind us – at the end of a year where we had to take some big risks – just makes us feel like Sheffield has our backs, and everything will be fine. If you’re not on board yet and you want to join the Tribune tribe then, well, you know what to do.
On with today’s newsletter!
We swerve “listicle” articles for 11.5 months of the year, but at Christmas we break our own rules and indulge ourselves, just the once. Two years ago, we asked Mina Miller to sample the many different mulled wine options, from IKEA to the Alpine Lodge and give her tasting notes. Last year, we asked her to repeat the trick for food, giving her rankings of the best (and worst) scran on offer at the Sheffield Christmas markets. If you want to read either of these pieces, they’re still available:
Mina Miller
Mina Miller
For this year, we’ve taken a slightly different tack again. Christmas is almost here, the goose is already fat and probably getting quite nervous — and if you’re also beginning to feel anxious about how many presents you still have to buy, fear not! We asked Holly Williams to give you the rundown of 17 Sheffield-themed Christmas gifts for the Steel City lover in your life. It’s got it all, from Sheffield slang calendars and regional wines to Neepsend-made knives and Hope Valley honey.
Drawing on extensive research of being a bougie Sheffield resident throughout the year, she’s scoured local retailers and artisans for the tastiest, chicest, handiest, and all-round Sheffieldiest gifts our fair city has to offer. There are picks to suit all budgets, from silly stocking fillers to lifelong treasures – and you’ll be boosting the local economy, too. Over to you, Holly.
The Tribune’s ultimate Sheffield Christmas gift guide
By Holly Williams. Click on the names of the items for a link to the online shop.
Nothing screams Sheffield like a Pete McKee illustration – and he’s got a gift offering for all budgets. I like the handsome limited edition book of 100 Nans (£45), or splurge on an original Nan pencil sketch from £225. Or you could just pick up a roll of wrapping paper for a quid, and give every other present under the tree a McKee flavour. From £1.
- Henderson's Relish – Pantomime Dame edition
Apparently, a single spicy sauce is enough to build an entire city’s identity on – so of course Hendos had to feature here. And what could be more Sheffield, and more Christmassy, than a pantomime version? The label for this special sauce features none other than Sheffield panto's legendary dame, Damian Williams, in full regalia. Expect teatimes to ring with “where’s the Hendos”, “it’s behind you!” etc. Pick up a bottle at Sheffield Theatres. £3.50.
- Chocolates By Design – Experimental box
A box of chocs with real wow factor. Not only do these colourful treats look like marbled, glossy baubles – sure to prompt coos on Christmas morning – but they also feature unusual and delicious flavour combos: blackberry and lavender; sweet miso and hazelnut; acorn, coffee and macadamia nut… Or if the intended recipient is a little less adventurous, try a Dessert or a Cocktail inspired box. They’re all available as vegan/dairy-free versions too. From £9.90.
Spreading a little of this honey on toast really will give you a local flavour – they keep beehives in the city and around the Hope Valley, producing raw and unprocessed honey. I’ve enjoyed their unctuous soft set and fragrant heather honeys; other varieties include blossom, blueberry and borage. Look out for their distinctive hexagonal jars in stockists around Sheffield, or check out their website for a full list. From £4.65.
- Hyde Wares – wallets, belts, bags
Want a present with staying power? Sheffield maker Jonathan Hyde’s leather items are designed to stand the test of time, and are hand-made from oak-tanned leather from the last remaining oak bark tannery in Britain. His range extends from card pouches and wallets to sturdy belts and a beautiful selection of bags. Or book a spot on a January workshop, where Jonathan will guide people in making their own hand stitched items. From £10.
- The Tribune – Top quality local journalism
Of course we’re going to plug ourselves – go on, gift a subscription so that someone else can benefit from The Tribune’s insightful, fearless, and fun reporting! It’s a present that’ll last far beyond Christmas day. And while I’m on the journalistic self-promotion… if you have a theatre-lover in your life, why not sign them up to Exeunt: a theatre newsletter edited by moi here in Sheffield, but hosting writing from the best critics around the country. Tribune subscriptions from £19.90.
- Smith St. Coffee – I Wish It Could be Smith St. Every Day
What’s better than a festive special edition of small batch seasonal coffee? A festive special edition of small batch seasonal coffee with a Christmas pun! Give the gift of humming Wizzard every time they make a brew, with this bag of medium roast, single origin Ethiopian coffee (expect dark chocolate and plum notes). Or for an ongoing gift for the caffeine addict in your life, Smith St. do a monthly coffee club subscription. From £11.50.
Local wine? Absolutely: English wine is no longer an acidic crime against grapes, but delivering up some corkers, and Renishaw Hall in Eckington can boast of being one of the UK’s oldest vineyards. For a festive option, try their fizz: pour a glass of pink or white as you hold forth on how the UK will soon have a better climate for sparkling wine than Champagne (just don’t mention the reason: climate change). From £19.95.
- Luke Horton – Yorkshire slang calendar 2026
A celebration of our local character or the Disneyfication of Sheffield? Luke Horton’s artworks immortalising Yorkshire slang may have become marmite – but if tha loved ones think they’re reyt good, why not give the gift of 12 whole months of mardy bums, ‘avin a brew, and getting the biscuits ahht. £20.
A bottle of posh olive oil is the chicly neutral present choice du jour: it feels a bit treaty and fancy-pants, but is guaranteed to be both welcomed and actually used. And you can trust Tonco to have chosen a very good one – they import this extra virgin olive oil from one single grove in the Peloponnese in Greece (how’s that for a provenance flex!). The latest, freshest batch landed at Tonco Bakery just this week: buy there, or online. £24.
What could be more Sheffield than a gift made from the very ground we walk on? Lisa Beevers is a potter who works with wild clay, which she digs wherever she spots it; she likes to knock on people’s doors when they’d having building work and see if they’ll let her blag a bag or two… After drying, crushing, soaking, and sieving, it’s ready to be worked into the pots her throws in her studio, a WW2 bunker (hence the Bunkerpots name). Find them at The Yard gallery, and Pollen Market, 21 December. From £25.
- Barks Wine – Fizzy red and chocolate bag
Barks is one of our favourite wine shops, and it’s neighbours with the Bullion Chocolate shop. So this is a no-brainer collab: a bar of Bullion 70 per cent Ghanian dark chocolate paired with a fruity, sparkling Perle Rogue red wine – best served lightly chilled. If that doesn’t scream ‘Christmas’ and also ‘I love you’, I don’t know what would. £30.
A nice scented candle is an always-reliable treat, but Lit's essential oil candles are a bit special: buy a hand-made ceramic vessel – designed to last a lifetime – along with a chosen scent. Then when the candle is burned out, order a refill from Lit; no more wasteful throwing away of empty holders. After a truly unique option? Lit run workshops where olfactory innovators can craft their own bespoke scent to take away in candle form. From £35.
- Juno Books – book boxes
Want to buy someone a bookish gift but not quite sure what? Let Juno Books do the choosing. They’ve put together a short questionnaire to fill out about the person you’re shopping for – then they’ll select books they think they’ll love and parcel them up. Or, if all they want for Christmas is gender equality, why not opt for an ‘Anti-Patriarchal Book Box’ – a selection chosen in collaboration with the Feminist Book Society. From £29.99.
- And Other Stories – book subscription
Not the clothes shop: the Sheffield-based indie publisher, who publish contemporary literature from all over the globe. Sign a bookworm up for a subscription that’ll expand their horizons – and give them the glow of being ahead of the literary curve, as subscribers get books two months before they hit the shops. From £40.
- Cahve – jewellery making kits
Buying for someone creative, or just particular about what jewellery they like? Let them design it themselves, with Cahve's clever make-at-home kits. These include everything needed to make your own unique item: wax starting shapes, and the tools to craft them into a ring, pendant or earrings (plus access to loads of expert guidance and tutorials online). Send the wax back, and Cahve will cast it in solid silver or gold. £45 for the kit, £135 to include casting in silver.
- Katto – handmade knives
Could it be a Sheffield gift guide without kitchenware? Any avid cook would be chuffed to get one of Katto's kitchen knives: handmade in a Mowbray Street workshop, they aren’t cheap but they are built to last – and they look stunning too. Choose from walnut, olive, rosewood or beech handles, in a range of sizes. From £110.
Anything else you'd add to the list? Let us know in the comments.
🎁 Want to give something thoughtful, local and completely sustainable this Christmas? Buy them a heavily discounted gift subscription. Every week, your chosen recipient will receive insightful journalism that keeps them connected to Sheffield — a gift that keeps on giving all year round.
You can get 44% off a normal annual subscription, or you can buy six month (£39.90) or three month (£19.90) versions too. Just set it up to start on Christmas Day (or whenever you prefer) and we'll do the rest.
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