Sunderland's The Peacock: From match day pints to music studios - how owners have been breathing new life into the historic pub

There’s been many chapters at the old Londonderry pub site, some more colourful than most, from its days of entertaining sailors and shipyard workers to housing the Hot Rats folk club and Flares nightclub.

After being sold by Stonegate Group to The MAC Trust, the Grade II-listed site underwent a major restoration in 2017 and was reborn as The Peacock – and it’s taken flight spectacularly to really make the most of the building.

From The Birdland music studios on the third floor to the function room below and, of course, the pub itself on the ground floor which hosts live music, quizzes and a strong match-day offering complete with ham and pease pudding stotties on the bar, every room in the building is now being put to good use by publicans Barry Hyde and Cindy Godoy.

It’s a multi-faceted approach to hospitality that’s led to a real boom at the pub and it’s one that will be boosted further with the arrival of new neighbours this summer on the ground floor of the Holiday Inn, including The Botanist and The Keel Tavern, with the area around Keel Square set to be a cornerstone of the burgeoning nighttime economy in the city centre.

Moving forward, The Peacock will also lie in the footpath of the new pedestrian bridge which will follow the Keel Line in Keel Square, linking The Riverside development with the new food and drink offering at Sheepfolds.

Barry says they feel proud to be the custodians of such an asset to the city.

"When we took over in November 2019, the building was covered in scaffolding, then a few months later the pandemic hit and I had to learn how to become a cellarman, cleaning the lines every 10 days even though the pub was closed,” he said.

"When we reopened in 2021 what really made a difference was Cindy coming on board as manager and her mum Mileide who’s our chef, they really made the difference in us being able to put on a quality offering.”

He added: "We’re an independent business, we’re not a big pub chain with a business model of minimal profit. We also offer premium products, which costs us more to buy in.

"There’s a lot of competition in Sunderland. But we’ve managed to adapt and survive and it’s going from strength to strength.”

Barry is also known as lead singer of Sunderland’s The Futureheads and his passion and expertise for the music industry also comes into play at The Peacock.

After a major refurbishment of a dilapidated former landlords’ flat, the top floor of the pub is now home to Birdland Studios, an independent recording and rehearsal facility.

It’s a vital resource for students of The Northern Academy of Music Education (NAME), an independent music college run by Barry and Dan Donnelly in partnership with University of Sunderland.

As well as lectures at St Peter’s Campus and the NAME base on the top floor of the Fire Station, students can get real hands-on experience of producing and recording tracks at Birdland Studios as part of their BA in Modern Music Industries.

The first cohort is into its second year – and there’s already some real talent flourishing under the expert tuition.

Barry himself was one of many musicians to come through the old Sunderland Music Workshops and he says that grassroots support, at places which also include The Bunker, is so important in fostering talent.

"You really need that pathway for young artists to be able to come through,” he said.

Music also flows downstairs in the function room, which, with its own entrance, toilets and bars, has become popular for engagement parties, christenings and more whilst also hosting gigs from the likes of Mark Chadwick of Levellers fame, Tom Robinson and many more.

A rich history in the city

The pub’s history can be traced back to 1770 when the old The Peacock coaching inn stood on High Street West site before being named The Londonderry in 1834 after the mega-rich Londonderry family.

Though the name is fondly-remembered, the actions of some family members are not. Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry, had a particular disdain for the lives of the miners who worked for him, which is well documented.

A new Londonderry pub, the one that stands today, was built in 1901 to the design of Hugh Taylor Decimus Hedley, and is one in a number of buildings he designed in the area including Kayll Road Library, The Central pub in Gateshead and the distinctive white pavilion at Ashbrooke Sports Ground, close to Hugh’s old home in The Grove.

It’s one of the city’s oldest-surviving pubs and as it thrives under the burgeoning culture quarter, Barry says it’s really playing its part in the revival of the city.

“We’re really excited about all the events we have coming up. The pub is growing its fan base. It’s a bit like being in a band, it can take a while to build a following,” he said.

"But we’re really enjoying it, we feel really lucky to be where we are in the city because of all the developments that are on the horizon, all the new hospitality is going to really change the scene of Sunderland and, we hope, stop people getting on the Metro and spending their money in Sunderland instead.

"In the last few years there’s been more positive steps to improving Sunderland made than in the past 30 years. Now is the time to be in Sunderland.”

:: The Peacock pub is open Thursdays to Sundays. It hosts Live At 5 every Saturday at 5pm with live acts performing. The next music quiz takes place on Thursday, April 6. See their socials for gig announcements.