{"id":66639,"date":"2026-02-12T14:22:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/?p=66639"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:52:10","slug":"from-lectures-to-launch-night-student-opens-new-sheffield-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/from-lectures-to-launch-night-student-opens-new-sheffield-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"From lectures to launch night: Student opens new Sheffield restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dylan McConnachie-Pace, a third-year Dentistry student at the University of Sheffield, is balancing his studies with the opening of The Aston on Glossop Road.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McConnachie-Pace said: \u201cIt is the most fulfilling thing that I have ever done,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve imagined how it would feel to cut the ribbon on opening night for a while and it was a very \u2018out of this world\u2019 feeling when it happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;All my friends were there to celebrate and when they left, I was in the restaurant on my own and felt emotional once I had processed what had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr McConnachie-Pace, from Surrey, worked as a chef at Hoebridge Golf Centre when he was sixteen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He then went on to start his own catering company for schools in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image1-660x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"plates of food at restaurant\n\" class=\"wp-image-66657\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6445416099204359;width:220px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image1-660x1024.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image1-480x745.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 660px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Aston<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The grand launch of the venue was on 6 February and there will be a second opening on 14 February where a speakeasy will be unveiled underneath the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Aston is near the University which has helped McConnachie-Pace manage his lectures alongside his new leadership role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said: \u201cI have a responsibility to the people who work for me as this is a big part of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is similar to how lecturers have the responsibility to teach the degree to students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The course is a big part of their lives. If I let people down, then that is on me and I do not want to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience challenged him, and he had to remain firm throughout the process as he juggled his degree with the opening of the venue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McConnachie-Pace said: \u201cOpening night was very hectic and lots of things went wrong at the last minute,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was an emotional rollercoaster but that was what made it worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Aston is an intimate venue with a menu that specialises in modern British cuisine such as a classic roast or a chicken supreme. Unlimited fries are also included on Fridays with student and NHS discounts available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McConnachie-Pace said: \u201cI thought it would be impossible to get through so many problems but I was determined to make this work,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt has been busy. I have such a good support system and still have a social life. I did get asked why I was checking my emails in a night club though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the day, the restaurant transforms into a dog-friendly caf\u00e9 and a study space for students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bookings are available now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dylan McConnachie-Pace, a third-year Dentistry student at the University of Sheffield, is balancing his studies with the opening of The Aston on Glossop Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":821,"featured_media":66659,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[415,43,21],"tags":[174,762,38,131],"class_list":["post-66639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-culture","category-news","tag-food","tag-restaurants","tag-sheffield","tag-south-yorkshire"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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