Small room, big fire
Where we started, and where we’re going next
We opened Orange Bird on Middlewood Road in the middle of a pandemic, which in hindsight was either very brave or slightly mad. Probably both. What we wanted was simple: a neighbourhood place where the braai is lit, the spice cupboard is overflowing and the food is made for sharing.
Our cooking is rooted in South Africa and wanders wherever the flavour takes it. Lamb slow-cooked until it gives up, laid over silky hummus. Peri-peri chicken with curry butter chips. Sea bream straight off the coals. Vegetables that get just as much love as the meat, sometimes more.
The room is small, the tables go quickly, and the smell of the grill hits you before the door has closed behind you.
Somewhere along the way, people started noticing. We were ranked 54th in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants, the highest in South Yorkshire, which still feels a bit surreal for a little place in S6.
So here’s what’s next. The sauces, spice blends and recipes that make our kitchen tick are coming out of the back and into your cupboard. The same peri-peri, the same rubs, the same dishes our regulars keep asking about, ready to fire up your own braai, barbecue or Tuesday night tea.
There are only so many tables in Hillsborough. This way, there’s a seat for everyone.
Anne and Matthew
The gift of a good dinner
Digital, in your hand or through the letterbox, however you like to gift it.
Our gift vouchers come in whichever form suits you. Send a digital one in seconds, pop in and pick up a physical card, or let us post one out for you. Every option ends the same way: someone you like, sat at our table, eating very well.
Braai. Spice. Good drinks. Hillsborough.
the Orange Bird Club
If you’ve got a favourite table and know the menu by heart, this one’s for you. For £90 a year, every visit comes with a member price on a premium bottle, chosen for us by Daniel at Museum Wines, plus a member price on Good-by-the-Glass, our glass of the week. Four times a year we’ll pick something we love and gift it to you. You’ll be first in line for new shop products and events, get early table booking and a heads-up when cancellations come up, and have your own WhatsApp booking line straight to us.
And it’s not just good for you. Every membership goes straight back into the restaurant, helping us try new ideas, invest in the kitchen and keep making the Orange Bird better for everyone who walks through the door. Basically, you get a little closer to the fire, and we get to keep it burning.
Connect
For enquiries, bookings, press
and collaboration opportunities
0114 234 9330
reservations@theorangebird.co.uk
78 Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 4HA
Opening times:
Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday from 6pm. Friday from 5pm AND Saturday 12pm – 2pm
Our Location
78 Middlewood Rd,
Hillsborough, Sheffield
S6 4HA
We don’t have our own car park, but there’s plenty of free and paid on-street parking nearby, plus a few car parks just a short walk away. Even easier, hop on the tram: the Hillsborough Park stop is right outside our door, so you could be at your table about thirty seconds after stepping off.