the Orange Bird

23/08/2026

Holiday time

21/08/2026

Who can resist these desserts??!! It boggles my mind when people leave OB without even sharing one of these three - the chocolate sorbet, Malva pudding with stout ice cream & stout toffee sauce (my fave!) and the legendary PMCT.
We’ve previously done a poll to see which one is the people’s favourite and the Peppermint Crisp Tart edged by about 2%.
I think we should go again and see if anything has changed. So - what’s your favourite?

12/08/2026

WE’RE HIRING A CHEF!
Orange Bird is looking for someone to join Matt and Connor in our tiny, mighty kitchen.

We cook in full view of the room — open kitchen, & open fire.
If you love real food, real graft, and real people, you’ll fit right in.

The role
• Wed–Sat
• One night off each week
• You’ll spend time on the braai, so confidence around fire is a big plus
• Everyone does everything — prep, service, bins, floors, the lot

We’re proud to be in the The Good Food Guide Top 100 Local Restaurants (No. 54).
Pay on application.

Email: [email protected]

07/08/2026

Hello all! It’s been a while since I did a proper post, but suffice to say we are still here and as busy as ever.
We are working on a few projects over the summer - the main one being our event VICTORIA on 12th September. We have sold all the tickets for this and are very excited to be cooking outside - just hoping that this long dry spell doesn’t break on the 11th!!
We are getting lots of emails and phone calls about booking in. We are pretty much full until 30th September but we do get cancellations so keep your eyes peeled on Instagram and Facebook and even better on our online booking system as customers normally beat me to the free slots!
We open bookings two months in advance, so currently we are taking bookings up until 6th October. Tomorrow the 7th and so on.
Our next holiday closure is the last week in August (26-29 August) and I’ll be going all the way to…Settle in North Yorkshire. I know how to live 😂
I hope you’re all having a lovely summer and see you soon x

15/07/2026

15/07/2026

We are closed next week for our staff holidays.

14/07/2026

🙌

A round of applause for The Orange Bird, which has officially earned its place back on The Good Food Guide UK 2026's list of Britain's Best Local Restaurants.

After securing spots in both 2023 and 2024, the Hillsborough favourite is once again being recognised as one of the country's best - and it's thoroughly deserved.

This South African-inspired spot has become a firm favourite among Sheffield foodies, and we can certainly vouch for it ourselves. From their famous peri-peri chicken to the perfectly cooked sea bream, everything is prepared over an open braai, bringing something truly special to dining in the heart of Hillsborough.

14/07/2026

Thanks for the great article!

Sheffield eatery named as one of the best local restaurants in the UK and best in South Yorkshire

14/07/2026

Yeah! We made the list!

Yesterday afternoon, Matt and I were at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London for the Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants celebration.

Orange Bird was ranked 54th in Britain.

We met some lovely people and now have an excuse to visit restaurants as far apart as
Brighton (Brusco) and the Isle of Mull (Ar Bord).

The first year we made this list was 2023. Matt and I were slogging away single handed in the restaurant. No other chefs, no other front of house staff, no one to help with any of the cleaning. Only a pot washer during service and a lot of determination it seems!

This year it feels like we’ve won. With two more chefs and some brilliant people out front,
we’re both able to have a night off each week and share the load. A big thank you to our wonderful team for not only getting us back in the Top 100 but for giving us some life back too.

And to our customers - you’re the reason we are on this list. Thank you for believing in us, for telling your friends and families about us, and for coming back again and again.

This is your ranking as much as ours.

12/07/2026

Chef Appreciation Post: -
Last week has been tough. Tough for everyone I know. We don’t live in a country that can cope with this kind of heat. Schools are like greenhouses and hospitals with the most vulnerable people are sweltering and airless boxes.

For us the kitchen has been a bit of an inferno and lighting a fire at the end of a long hot day prepping was oxymoronic (or just moronic!) to say the least! So the chefs have been working really hard to get a menu that doesn’t require the fire but is just as good as anything we normally serve.

Wednesday saw us having to light the braai as the new menu wasn’t prepped but by Saturday the transition was made, and as well as being a few degrees cooler outside, the kitchen felt a little more bearable. However by this point the chefs were all exhausted so thank goodness it was the last day of the week!

The reactions of the customers to the new dishes has been brilliant. And as you can see in these photos they certainly look impressive! ‘Delicious’ is what Matt always strives for and that’s what this menu is - delicious.

The traditional South African braai will be returning when the weather is more bearable. And if the summer continues like this then you may be waiting until 12 September when we have our Shisanyama inspired party in Victoria’s courtyard - outside as it’s meant to be! Tickets are still available at Victoria’s website and the link is in our bio.