What to expect from new cafe Ruhe as it gears up to open at Sunderland's Roker Park

Last month, it was revealed that Sunderland businesswomen Hannah Jackson-Harrison and Joanne Woods will be opening Ruhe in the shadow of the Victorian bandstand at Roker Park as part of a wave of improvements to the area.

Hannah has already had great success with her Flamingo Cafe in Seaham, which Joanne manages, and their new venture will be a sister site – with its own identity.

Work is well underway on the new addition to Roker, which is being constructed off site, with a view to it being placed in situ and ready to welcome its first customers by mid-August.

Named after the German word for peace and tranquillity, Ruhe will incorporate some elements of Flamingo, such as its focus on health foods, but will have a more Scandi-inspired aesthetic with clean lines, a neutral colour scheme, a living roof and plants.

The business partners say they are really excited to bring something different to Roker whilst also complementing the existing businesses in the area.

Joanne said: “When this site became available, we jumped at the chance, it couldn't be more perfect. There’s some great businesses in Roker and we won’t be stepping on anyone’s toes as our menu will be totally different.

“As we’ve seen with Flamingo, people are a lot more health conscious now and we’ll be offering elements of what we do here using all fresh ingredients, wholesome foods made from scratch, from local suppliers, served on bamboo plates.”

Hannah added: “A lot of our customers at Flamingo are from Sunderland, so we don’t want to take away from what we offer here. Some dishes will be pulled across, but there will be lots of new things, too.

"The new site is so central and we’re hoping to draw in people from all walks of life, and offer something for everybody. The more things we can offer in Roker, the more people will come. It’s great that there’s so much choice for everybody now.”

More details on the menu will be announced soon, but people can expect smoothie bowls, granola bowls, a full brunch menu, focaccia sandwiches, salads, smoothies, superfood lattes, protein shakes and coffee from Sunderland coffee brand RESINN.

There will be around 20 covers inside the dog-friendly venue, with more seating outside, as well as take away hatch with the business catering for people who want to grab food and drinks to go.

The aim is also to create a community hub, with coffee mornings for those with dementia and a safe space for people with autism.

As well as the cafe, there will be amphitheatre-style seating installed overlooking the bandstand, improvements to existing planting schemes, restoration of the historic Grade II-listed bandstand, refurbishment of the former park-keepers' lodge and the installation of an accessible toilet.

Work will also start on a six-week programme of improvements to the tennis courts in Roker Park.

It builds on improvements already made at the seafront park, such as the restoration of water features in the park including the waterfall and the boating lake.

Seafront Regeneration

In recent years, the local authority has invested £10million in the seafront to boost its offering to residents, whilst also attracting visitors from around the region.

A number of new businesses have already opened in the past year, including Tin of Sardines, North, Coast and Grandpa Dickie’s, building on the success of Stack and the Seaburn Inn.

The area has also seen substantial landscaping improvements to the walkways.

This autumn will also see the arrival of a new small plates and brunch hot spot from the team at Black’s Corner who are busy transforming the old tram shelter in Seaburn.

The team at Vaux Brewery will also be creating a new beachfront bar in the shelter at the far end of Marine Walk.