Matt Helders and Public to open two new cafes in Sheffield

The team behind the award-winning Public and Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders have teamed up with Museums Sheffield to launch Ambulo, an all-day dining concept across two historic Sheffield sites.

Ambulo will launch its first site in early 2019 at the Millennium Gallery offering all-day dining, speciality coffee, wine and cocktails. A second cafe will follow later in the year at Weston Park Museum. Speaking to Exposed about the big news, co-founder of the Rocking Group (Public, Great Gatsby, Picture House) James O’Hara said: “Ambulo is something that we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a good few years, just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself and we’re so happy to be able to do this by teaming up with Museums Sheffield. To be able to call Millennium Gallery and Weston Park Museum our new homes is very exciting!”

Matt Helders added: “Me and James (O’Hara) have been friends for a long time and we’ve been chatting about opening a restaurant for years. It’s great to be working with his team to bring Ambulo to life and particularly great to be doing this together in our home town. With my ‘day job’ I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world, it’s great to bring some of what I’ve seen and experienced back to Sheffield. I can’t wait to have a place where all our friends, family and the people of the city can eat, drink and hang out.”

Ambulo will open from 8am, serving specialty coffee, fresh-pressed juices and smoothies. Public head chef Tom Aronica has designed an eclectic food menu for breakfast, brunch and lunch, with the cafe keen to focus on families and healthy eating. O’Hara said: “With Ambulo it’s really important to us that it’s a place where families feel comfortable and looked after. We may have come from primarily a bar background but as with all our previous projects they really do reflect where we are at a certain time in our lives.

“Ambulo will be a place where we can go with our kids, nieces and nephews, family and friends to eat great food, drink great drinks, in an environment that we can all relax in. We recognise what a huge responsibility comes with being given the chance to open within these buildings that are so culturally significant to the city and we want to reflect that in all we do at Ambulo.”

The Millennium Gallery site will transition into an evening restaurant with a seasonal menu as well as a drinks selection taking in wine, beer and the cocktails that Public and the Great Gatsby is known for.

Museums Sheffield’s chief executive, Kim Streets said: “Our ambition is for the city’s museums and galleries to be welcoming, social spaces that are part of everyone’s lives. We want people to have an amazing experience when they come through the doors and Ambulo is going to play a really important part in that. We’re really thrilled to be welcoming James, James, Matt and the team on board.”

Ambulo is set to open in 2019, but for now follow the cafe on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Head over to weareambulo.com for more info.

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