Sheffield residents urged to back local businesses

Sheffield businesses are being given the chance to gain national recognition through a competition celebrating independent and high street firms.

Residents are being encouraged to nominate their favourite city businesses for the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026 competition, which is backed locally by Sheffield BID.

Shops, restaurants, salons, hotels, attractions and service providers are eligible, with people asked to nominate a business and explain why they believe it should win.

The business receiving the most nominations will receive a £1000 Town & City Gift Card, with one person who nominated the winner also receiving a £1000 gift card.

Sheffield BID introduced the Sheffield City Centre Gift Card to support local businesses, with almost 100 participating venues including national brands and independents.

Richard Pilgrim, project manager at Sheffield BID, said: “You need only glance at the list of businesses which accept the Sheffield City Centre Gift Card to see what fantastic businesses we have here in the city centre. 

“We’re backing the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026 to spotlight our local businesses on a national stage. 

“Shops to bars, restaurants to cinemas, simply nominate your favourite business in the city centre and you could win a £1000 Sheffield City Centre Gift Card for yourself, and the same for the business to win.”

One of the latest to join the list is In The Making in Orchard Square, which opened in May and sells gifts, homeware and handcrafted products from more than 100 regional makers and creators.

The business is run by mum and daughter Lindsay Stephens and Ellie Stephens, also known as Lass Paints, alongside Lindsay's best friend Anita Watkinson.

Anita said: “We’ve all been delighted by the response that we’ve had since opening our doors in the spring.

“We really feel at home in Orchard Square and we’re always keen for more people to discover just how special a place this is for showcasing our local creatives and artists.

“We’d love to be voted the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026, but as long as people are voting for their own favourites and showing love for their local businesses, that’s all that matters.”

The competition is part of the Town & City Gift Cards initiative operated by fintech Miconex.

Colin Munro, chief executive of Miconex, added: “We’re pleased to launch the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026 in Sheffield so we can spotlight the city’s favourite businesses.

“Our 2026 research has shown that support for local is incredibly strong in the UK with 99 per cent of respondents keen to support local businesses and 73 per cent saying it has become more important over the past 12 months. 

“Nominating a Sheffield business as the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026 is an easy way to show your support for a business you love.”

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