Owner of 5-star food pub begs ‘give us a chance’ after new venue has ‘very tough’ opening
The owners of a new British Tapas bar in Sheffield say they “need people to give them a chance” after a “very tough” few opening weeks.
Bubba Bar in Alma Street, Kelham Island, was opened by father and daughter duo John Tompkins, 66, and Alex Tunney, 37, earlier this month. The family, who also run the highly successful Devonshire Arms, bought the premises - which had formerly been home to SYN - in August of this year.
“Bubba means ‘family orientated’,” John explained. “We concentrate on Great British tapas, so it’s all about creating small versions of our favourite food - whether that’s fish and chips or pie.”
Read more: Sheffield food hall opened four months ago already crowned best in UK
Bubba’s tapas menu, created by chef Marco Caires, ranges from £6 to £12 per dish. They recommend two to three dishes per person, or one as a starter - but it's not all bruschetta and olives. At Bubba Bar you’ll find steak and ale pie and Yorkshire pudding bao buns’ filled with sticky beef on the menu. You can also order large plates including pasta, salads and burgers.
However, since opening their doors, John feels that Bubba Bar has faced some negativity, as he described the 16 weeks since they took over the business as “very tough”. He added: “One or two people have got it in for us, which is very upsetting.”
The business has faced disruption due to ongoing roadworks directly outside the premises, as well as criticism online over accusations of playing loud music late at night. John has dismissed these claims as “rubbish”, and says he wants the people of Kelham and the wider Sheffield area to “give them a chance”.
He said: “The roadworks are ongoing - we’ve had continuous disruption with huge lorries, tractors and workmen outside every single day. You can’t see the business because of it - we’re completely hidden and it’s going to be months before they’re finished.”
John explained he is trying to seek compensation for the disruption and says Bubba is not the only business to suffer, adding: “Other owners near us have told me they’re struggling to survive. Luckily we’re a new business so we’re creating a bit more interest.
“But the accusations about loud music are a load of rubbish. There was a hen party across the road from us - people on social media blamed us for the noise but it was never coming from Bubba Bar. Our music goes off at 11pm and I’ve done several music loudness tests.
"If you walk past Bubba, you won't be able to hear the music unless you press your ear against the window. The previous owners spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on sound proofing.”
But it hasn’t all been bad - John says the negativity only accounts for a small percentage of the reaction to Bubba.
“A young woman came in last week and she hugged me, and told me not to take any notice of other people and the negative comments,” he explained.
“That’s all we really want, a bit of niceness. We did really well in our opening week, so long may that continue. But we do need the support of the people of Kelham and surrounding areas in order to achieve that.”
Earlier this week, John announced on social media that Bubba Bar will be hosting an open afternoon and evening from 4pm onwards on Wednesday, October 2. Writing on Facebook, he said: “It’s been a very tough 16 weeks since we took over the old SYN. One or two people have got it in for us, which is very upsetting. My daughter is trying her best. It’s a beautiful bar with reasonable prices and a very talented kitchen.”
Food and drink at the event will be free and John, his wife Julie Tompkins, and daughter Alex, will be there to meet and chat to people. They also plan to announce a number of new menus, including a festive edition. He said: “I hope we can have a positive night - there’s already been over 100 likes on the post and decent comments. I’m looking forward to meeting people and telling them what we do.
“If you want to come along, then hopefully you’ll go away happy. All we want is a chance. A business can’t survive without people supporting you, so hopefully next week will be a chance for people to talk to us and see the passion that we’ve got for what we do.”
And it’s the passion that John says helps to set Bubba Bar apart. He added: “It’s not just a job - you’ve got to love what you do. It’s all about passion for us. I’ve got 50 years of experience eating all over the world in different countries and different cities, and we’ve brought that back into what we do. For me, it’s about providing the best in hospitality.”
The family’s pub in Middle Handley has been awarded five stars by the AA as well as a rosette award for culinary excellence - and they are hoping they can emulate the same success with their latest venture. He said: “We get packed out at The Devonshire Arms, and that’s something that we’re aiming to achieve at Bubba Bar. We may only get 10 people on the first night, but you’ve got to persevere.”
John explained that Bubba Bar has a licence to have children on the premises until 9pm, and afterwards if they are supervised. He wants it to be somewhere families “can come and enjoy the food”.
He added: “We’ve got a cracking children’s menu - for parents there’s a great selection of drinks and the cocktails are amazing. I know what we’re good at - we’ve proved it with the Devonshire Arms, and we hope that Bubba Bar can also gain a positive profile.”
Each month, the bar will serve a week-long special menu inspired by countries from around the world. In September this was inspired by Spain and the theme for October will be Greek food.
The bar will also be hosting live music from local artists in upcoming weeks. Bubba Bar Kelham, on Alma Street, is open from 4pm on Wednesday to Friday, and from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday. To find out more, visit their website or Facebook page.
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