News: Independent restaurant closes at Rotherham's flagship Forge Island

Whilst other tenants are trading well, an independent restaurant set up by local entrepreneurs has closed within a year of opening at Forge Island in Rotherham.

Sygnature Dish opened last summer, bringing steak and seafood to the town centre's new landmark leisure destination.

Delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse, the £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel.

Sygnature Dish joined the Vetro Lounge at Forge Island and was followed by Heavenly Desserts.

Dalu and Sibbs Sikhosana, the enterprising siblings behind Sygnature Dish, were first involved in Sub Sahara, an authentic family-run African shop and butchery in Rotherham town centre.

Judith Badger, Executive Director of Corporate Services at Rotherham Council, said: “We’re sorry to see Sygnature Dish close and we recognise that any business closure is particularly difficult for the staff involved. We’d like to thank them for being part of Forge Island.

“The hospitality sector is facing challenges across the country, and unfortunately Sygnature Dish has faced difficulties linked to its own operating model as well as wider market conditions. Despite this Forge Island as a destination continues to record strong footfall and a growing customer base amongst Rotherham residents and from further afield.

“Forge Island remains a vibrant and popular place to visit, with Arc Cinema, Travelodge, Vetro Lounge and Heavenly Desserts all trading well and attracting customers throughout the week. Feedback from visitors continues to be very positive, and we’re pleased with the momentum across the site.

“Importantly, the site was always designed to evolve. With that in mind, we’re looking forward to announcing a new operator who will open at the Forge Island later this year. Discussions are progressing and we hope to share news soon.

“In the meantime, we’d encourage residents to continue supporting the fantastic businesses already at Forge Island.”

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At the start of the year, Rothbiz reported on difficulties faced by the council with the scheme.

"Operational issues" meant that a car parking system was delayed and the authority's Parking Services staff were drafted in to ensure the site was being used appropriately after the council received a number of complaints about parking availability and the "heavy usage by non-genuine customers."

An ANPR system is now in place with parking concessions extended to customers of all businesses located within the Forge Island development providing four hours of free parking.

The council report also referenced the difficulty the council was having in attracting businesses to the site and letting the units.

In 2024, Rothbiz reported on the liquidation of a company connected to the restaurant operator that the council had signed up in a pre-let agreement to open a number of brands at Forge Island. The leader of the council said that it was a "challenging business situation" for the operator.

Work began on site in November 2022 after Rotherham Council agreed to fund the Forge Island regeneration scheme itself when the the funding available its delivery partner, Muse, "significantly reduced" due to the volatility of the financial markets.

The council's project budget also includes a contribution towards the fit out of the units.

According to Rotherham Council's leader, Chris Read, there has been a million more visits in the town centre across the two years since Forge Island opened in 2024.

Forge Island website

Images: Sygnature Dish

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News: Housing plans for Rotherham town centre building

A new set of plans have been submitted that would enable more vacant commercial space in Rotherham town centre to be converted into flats.

The Rotherham town centre masterplan of 2017 confirmed the need for more housing and leisure uses as a way to develop economic vitality, bringing more life, activity and spending back into the town centre.

On Doncaster Gate, the Royal Chambers building is the latest in line for conversion.

Known by many as part of Cooper's Toy Shop, 8 - 12 Doncaster Gate has been used for a number of years as commercial units - a tattoo studio and offices for a recruitment firm.

Now an application has been submitted that would enable a change of use of the upper floors.

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Following on from 2024 plans, the new application from AHA21 Properties Ltd proposes the change of use and conversion of the first and second floors to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) whilst the ground floor is to remain as commercial.

Plans show five, 1-bed flats on the first and second floors, with both floors having a kitchen and shower.

There are no plans to change the external appearance of the building.

Commercial property agents, CPR, had been advertising the building for sale at £295,000. Their advert read: "Royal Chambers comprises of a detached three-storey office building and benefiting from rear car parking. The property provides an attractive stone façade, offering modern offices to all three floors with the ground floor providing a mixture of open-plan offices together with private glass-wall partitioned offices to the rear.

"The building offers a useful self-contained separate access from Doncaster Gate which leads to the first and second floors. There are further offices at second floor level. The top floor has been used as a gymnasium and could easily be converted back to office accommodation."

If approved, the new flats would sit alongside The Cinema House residential development and opposite to the successful conversion of a former department store and pool hall.

Images: Haybrook

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News: Pricecheck celebrates £200m milestone, doubles down on growth

Pricecheck, an international wholesaler and distributor of fast-moving consumer goods, has smashed its ambitious "Vision 200" goal, recording an annual turnover of £200m, marking the completion of a five-year business plan to double the organisation's size.

With its HQ at Beighton Link in Rotherham, Pricecheck is a fast-growing international wholesaler and distributor of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

The financial year ending April 2026 saw Pricecheck grow 11% from its £179m turnover in the prior year, which also marked the company’s 12th consecutive year of growth. In the past year, the international distributor grew its product range, acquiring iconic heritage brands Harmony, Amplex, and Rapport, whilst extending its brand distribution portfolio, welcoming JDE Peet’s market-leading brands, including Kenco, Douwe Egberts, Maxwell House, and Tassimo.

This growth was also supported by a significant expansion of its operational footprint, which now totals over 400,000 sq ft, as well as an increase in its workforce to over 370 staff.

The achievement of Vision 200 comes following Pricecheck’s transition from a traditional specialist wholesaler to a leading brand distribution partner, which now accounts for approximately 45% of the total business, up from less than 10% just five years ago. This has seen the company drastically expand its capabilities to cover all aspects of brand owner support, including eCommerce, marketing, export and display solutions.

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Building on this momentum, Pricecheck has also announced the launch of its "Future 400" business plan. This new strategy sets a clear target to double the business again, reaching £400m in revenue by focusing on maintaining and building on its rapid growth, driven by the expansion of its brand portfolio and diversifying its customer reach.

Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison OBE, Joint Managing Directors at Pricecheck, said: “Reaching £200m is an incredible achievement by everyone here. We started this journey with an ambition to double our size, and seeing that vision become a reality is a testament to the passion, grit, and heart our team puts into this business every single day.

“We have evolved from our wholesale roots into a true global partner for some of the world’s biggest brands. But at our core, we remain the same as we always have been, a business that cares deeply about our people and our heritage.

“Launching 'Future 400' is the next chapter of our story, creating more opportunities for our team and continuing to prove that with the right people and a compelling offering, there are no limits to what we can achieve.”

The firm first moved to Beighton Link in 2016 and added that 197,425 sq ft former Maplin building on Brookfields Park in Manvers in 2020. Recent expansion includes a new 20,000 sq ft warehouse at Beighton Link and a 13,000 sq ft temporary structure at Manvers.

Pricecheck website

Images: Pricecheck

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News: Wentworth Woodhouse chosen as film set again

Turner, Churchill and now Faraday. The glorious setting of Wentworth Woodhouse has been chosen as the filming location for another biopic, reports Visit Rotherham.

Parts of the grade I listed mansion in Rotherham have been closed in recent weeks, including the house and gardens, so that a film production company can make movie magic.

The charity that looks after the big house, the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT), has revealed that it has been hosting the cast and crew of Power & Glory, an upcoming biopic about Michael Faraday.

Faraday is known as the "Father of Electricity" for discovering electromagnetic induction, the principle behind electric motors and generators.

The film is based on the play, Fire from Heaven: Michael Faraday and the Dawn of the Electrical Age by playwright and director, Murray Watts. Described as one of the greatest true stories it follows Faraday, a boy from the back streets of London, as he overcomes impossible odds to become one of the greatest experimental scientists of all time.

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An update from WWPT said: "We're thrilled to have been chosen as the main filming location for the majority of the sets. Hosting filming is a very important source of income for the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust as it supports the huge task of restoring and regenerating this important historic site and our work to make it truly a House for all.

"The movie magic isn't quite over yet - so watch this space for further updates! See you on the big screen!"

Wentworth Woodhouse has previously stood in for the Royal Academy in London for Mike Leigh's Mr Turner, and for Oscar winning feature film, Darkest Hour, the Whistlejacket room was used as interior of Buckingham Palace. The famous Marble Saloon also played host to the Downton Abbey movie.

in recent years, the income from filming has been reduced at the trust, in great part to the actors and writers’ strikes in America, which seriously impacted the UK film industry.

The house was closed to the public in April 2023 for the filming of major HBO production The Regime starring Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant. This was the only major film contract in the 2023/2024 financial year, with no major film contracts in the following year.

An update from the trust at the time said; "Our reliance on filming income carries an element of risk, as it is somewhat out of our control, so our aim is to move to a situation where it is a bonus if it happens, rather than a budgeted necessity."

Wentworth Woodhouse website

Images: WWPT

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News: Council confirms support for Rotherham's high street businesses

A new team of advisers will be deployed on Rotherham’s high streets in a bid to give local businesses more hands on support and help town centres thrive.

Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to approve the recruitment of three new High Street Business Advisers, who will work directly with traders in Rotherham town centre and the borough’s principal town centres – Wath, Swinton, Dinnington and Maltby.

As reported by Rothbiz, the investment was agreed as part of the council budget in March and forms part of a wider push to strengthen Rotherham’s high streets. A £304,000 figure was included in the council's budget for Supporting the High Street.

Each of the five locations will also benefit from a £25,000 activity fund, designed to back local promotions, events and campaigns to bring more people through the doors of independent shops and services.

Under the plans, the advisers will act as a familiar face for traders, working with them on a range of issues from street safety and cleanliness to promotion, footfall and access to grants.

Rather than focusing on a single issue, the advisers will have oversight of what is happening in each area, coordinating activity around events, crime prevention and wider business support.

The advisers will also play a key role in delivering the popular Shopfront Grants scheme, which has secured a further year of funding for 2026/27 through the Local Growth Fund, worth around £600,000. The oversubscribed scheme has already helped businesses improve the appearance of their premises.

In addition, the team will work with ward councillors, residents and traders to decide how the £25,000 activity budgets in each area are spent, ensuring local priorities shape the projects on the ground. This could include marketing campaigns, seasonal events or joint promotions aimed at increasing footfall.

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A council paper explains that various indicators will be used to measure the impact and success of the activities, and will include the number of businesses supported, the amount of vacant building floorspace brought back into use, and the take up of business support and grants by Rotherham businesses.



Recruitment to the new adviser posts is expected to begin shortly, with the team due to be in place to start work with traders later this year.

Cllr John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “Our high streets are the heart of our communities, and this new team of High Street Business Advisers is about giving traders the direct, practical support they’ve told us they need.

“The advisers will be a visible, familiar presence, helping businesses tackle everyday issues, make the most of funding opportunities and work together to attract more people into our town and township centres. Alongside the £25,000 activity fund in each location, this investment will help strengthen Rotherham’s high streets, part of our wider commitment to ensuring our places are thriving, safe and clean.”

RiDO website

Images: Savills

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