You can even bring your baby

Sheffield has given humanity a lot. Pulp. ABC. The Human League. Heaven 17. Moloko. Def Leppard. Arctic Monkeys. Seemingly, the stream of musical output doesn’t end. But now this northern city has expanded its gift-giving into the fields of vegan food and roller derby.

Last weekend Stuart, Baby Bobby and I decided to go on a bit of a northern road trip. We packed up the car with vegan sweets and our warmest winter accessories and hit the road. It was my first trip to Sheffield and I was keen to discover what it had in store besides an eclectic musical history.

The Blue Moon Cafe in Sheffield

First up was lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe. This vegetarian eatery sits in the shadow of the main cathedral and is housed in a huge, stunning room featuring a skylight. Bobby was right at home as the cafe supplied a number of high chairs for patrons and was buzzing with babies and infants. The food is pre-made and displayed in glass cases along the counter. Most of the dishes are vegan and anything containing dairy is clearly labeled.

Food and refreshment at the Blue Moon Cafe

My meal was hearty, wholesome and rather tasty. I wouldn’t say it revolutionised vegan dining but it certainly filled me up. My plate was filled with the Sunset Casserole featuring corn on the cob and a mix of tomato and bean salad. As tempted as I was by the range of organic vegan wine and lager on offer, I settled for a refreshing can of Whole Earth apple and raspberry sparkling drink. My meal was filling enough to stop me from being tempted by the vegan chocolate cake on offer.

Blue Moon Cafe has it all. Healthy food, vegan booze and a spacious, relaxing atmosphere welcoming of any and all. I just hope they can find it in their business plan to make all their dishes vegan.

Bobby hits the roller derby in style

Once we filled up and refueled, our merry gang made our way through the city centre until we were in the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre for an afternoon of roller derby coolness. The Sheffield Steel Roller Girls hosted a bout featuring their best players skating up against the Middlesborough Milk Rollers. It was a fun event fit for the whole family and even Bobby got into the swing of things in his new roller tee. The gay part of my moniker was especially pleased with the debut of the Sheffield Steel Rollers’ all male team. Those boys could really knock each other over.

My Sheffield schema suddenly got a lot more complex than Pulp and The Human League.

The Blue Moon Cafe

2 St. James Street
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 2EW
0114 276 3443