South Yorkshire café recognised for Lifetime Achievement by cyclists

• Bank View near Sheffield chosen to receive Cycling UK’s Cyclist Café of the Year award for Lifetime Achievement
• Panel of expert judges including Angellica Bell select spotty cycling café as favourite.

The awards, now in their second-year, invite cyclists in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to choose their favourite haunts for their (pre, mid and post ride) coffee and cake. Cafes which have been serving cyclists for longer than 20 years are also considered for an lifetime achievement award. 

Bank View Café more than fits the bill as it has been serving South Yorkshire’s cyclists since its doors opened back in 1900, initially to serve the nearby reservoir’s workers. 

The café is located at one end of the Strines, a route which skirts the edge of open moorland that connects the Woodhead Pass (and Holme Moss) to Derbyshire’s Snake Pass and is popular with both roadies and mountain bikers. 

You can’t miss the café, as the outside is painted in red polka dots in honour of the King of the Mountains jersey awarded to the best riders up the hills and mountains in the Tour de France. Owner Pete Sparks painted these on using dustbin lids in preparation for when the Tour passed his doors in 2014.

Several cafes were nominated for the Lifetime Achievement award, but for Cycling UK’s competition judges, which included former Celebrity Masterchef winner Angellica Bell, there could be only one winner. 

Angellica visited the café to present the award and in the process was taught how to make Parkin cake – a traditional syrup and ginger sponge cake from the north of England.

Angellica Bell said: “For everything you do for the community and for making this an amazing cycling hub I want to say a massive congratulations to Pete and everyone at Bank View Café!”

 

For Pete Sparks the award was the icing on the cake and well-deserved recognition that his cake, coffee and venue stand in such high regard among his cycling clientele. He is keen that all visitors, cyclists and non-cyclists alike, feel at home at Bank View.

“It’s a space where everyone can relax,” said Pete. “We’re a little bit scruffy around the edges because we do get dogs shaking themselves off in the doorway, cyclists coming in the middle of winter draping their clothes on the radiators to dry, and it’s the countryside so we do get muddy boots! We don’t turn anyone around. We’re not fussy like that. We try to make it a warm, welcoming space.

“I think it’s great we get so many cyclists coming out no matter the weather.”

Contact information

For more information contact the national Cycling UK Press Office on 01483 238 315, 07786 320 713 or email publicity@cyclinguk.org 

Notes to editors

1. Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. www.cyclinguk.org 
2. For more information on the Cyclists Café of the Year, see https://www.cyclinguk.org/tags/cyclist-cafe-year 
3. Bank View Café is based in Langsett, Stocksbridge, S36 4GY and further information is available at: https://bankviewcafe.co.uk/
4. The full list of winners for Cyclist Café of the Year 2019 are as follows: Lanterne Rouge, Scotland; The Feed Station, England; Pedal Power, Wales; The Auction Room, Northern Ireland; Bank View, Lifetime Achievement; Velolife, People’s Choice.
5. Images available at: https://www.skyfish.com/p/cyclinguk/1623904