Blacks Corner to open branch at Sunderland's new £27m Culture House

The homegrown business will open an eatery on the ground floor of the new development, set to open in Keel Square this autumn.

It promises a ‘unique dining experience’, featuring a bar area, what’s been described as an ‘interactive cheese counter’ and intimate dining space with an open studio kitchen that will feature workshops from in-house patisserie chefs.

The team will also cater for events taking place in the venue, including the Sky Garden overlooking the city.

Jonathan Dryden, co-founder of Blacks Corner, said: “The opportunity to act as custodians of a brand new city and regional asset highlights how our ethos, deeply rooted in community engagement, sustainability and quality aligns with the overarching goals of both Culture House and the wider Riverside project.

“Together with its partners, Sunderland City Council is blending the city’s heritage with cultural innovation and creating a vibrant new city centre that serves both locals and visitors. For us, this new combination of city centre and residential is transformative, and we want to be part of it.”

It will be a fourth outlet for Blacks Corner, building on the success of its East Boldon flagship restaurant, sister delicatessen and the Tram Shelter at Seaburn seafront which recently won a Northern Design Award.

The venue - like Blacks Corner's other venues - will champion local and home-grown British produce, supporting small producers, aiming to set a benchmark for quality and sustainable food practises in its offering.

The venue will create 40 new jobs, taking the Blacks Corner workforce to more than 100.

Culture House Sunderland will be a multi-purpose cultural venue, home to the City Library and interactive, digital, educational features, with a year-round programme of things to do and see.

The building is part of Riverside Sunderland, one of the most ambitious city centre regeneration projects in the UK, with developments including:

The Beam

City Hall

Maker & Faber, two Legal & General-backed highly sustainable offices

Sheepfolds Stables

The new footbridge across the River Wear

A state-of-the-art Eye Hospital

The National Esports Performance Campus

Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA)

And 1,000 sustainable new homes

“Sunderland City Centre’s unique transformation has inspired us to collaborate and contribute to the vision of Culture House,” said Jonathan.

“We aim to fully establish our brand in the city with aspirations to be as iconic as Binns once was, positioning Blacks Corner as a regional beacon for Sunderland, much like Fenwick is for Newcastle.”

Cllr Beth Jones, portfolio holder for Communities Culture and Tourism, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to announce that we’ve managed to secure one of the region’s finest eateries as our food and beverage partner for Culture House Sunderland.

“We know the quality and standard of what they produce and I’m sure it will be a great addition to the venue. And on top of that they will be creating dozens of new jobs for people in the area.”

It was also revealed this week that The Flower Cafe will open its Sunderland site in Keel Square this summer.

The Muddler will take up the corner unit beneath Holiday Inn, however, an opening date has not yet been announced.

Other new hospitality additions in the city include SeaChange which is heading to the Museum and Winter Gardens, a sister site to its original in South Shields.