Snooker championships a 'huge boost' to traders

Traders in Sheffield say the World Snooker Championships provided a "huge boost" to the local economy.

The tournament, which concluded on Monday, drew large crowds to the city to enjoy a fortnight of sporting action at the Crucible theatre.

Businesses in and around the venue said they had seen a welcome spike in their takings, and described news the event would stay in Sheffield until at least 2045 as "the best news business-wise we have had in five years".

Stefano Capaso, co-owner of Cafe Tucci on Surrey Street, said: "The snooker's given us all confidence. A Monday morning feels like a Saturday afternoon rush. It makes me feel I made the right choice to open here."

He said the cafe, which opened five years ago, drew in snooker fans and players alike during the tournament and helped deliver a much needed financial boost.

"It's not easy for independents," he said.

"[But] takings double in a day during the fortnight.

"When we found out it was staying at the Crucible, that is the best news business-wise we have had in five years."

Four doors down, Mark Shanks, general manager at Miller & Carter steak restaurant, said reservations went "through the roof" during the competition and rooms at their adjoining Innkeepers Hotel had been snapped up months in advance.

"This is our fourth snooker and it's been busier every year," he said.

"It's our busiest time other than Christmas. There's people from all around the world that come and dine with us and stay with us as well."

He said the deal to keep the event in Sheffield until 2045 was "a huge boost" and had allowed the business to do some "future planning".

Kate Josephs, chief executive of Sheffield City Council, said the 2025 tournament had an audience of over 500 million people in over 100 countries and contributed around £4.5m to the local economy.

She added: "This year's event was a great success, and we expect that economic benefit to grow as snooker stays in Sheffield until at least 2045."

It is not just the hospitality industry that has benefited from the increased trade brought by the snooker.

Local artist Carrie Thortersen said she had created a series of themed postcards and magnets in time for the tournament, which were sold at Sheffield Makers in the Winter Garden.

"It's a lovely boost having the snooker fans. They come from all over wanting a memento, it's quite fun," she said.

Andrea Machin has been working at Staniforth's bakers on Chapel Walk for 22 years, a stone's throw from the backstage doors of the Crucible.

"It's absolutely wonderful for us," she said.

"Trade goes up massively, even before the tournament has started. We have the same guys coming back each year to set up beforehand too.

"We rely on it each year. We need that money in to keep the business going."

Diane Jarvis, chief executive of Sheffield BID, added: "It's still early days in assessing the full economic impact of this year's World Snooker Championship, particularly as headline data alone can't capture how a city feels or functions during a major international event.

"What we've seen very clearly in visitor sentiment is a strong sense of vibrancy across the city during the tournament – a visible energy and buzz that goes beyond what can be measured through data."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North