'Culture House is our most ambitious Blacks Corner' - Sunderland's newest restaurant with its own cheese belt

From a cheese belt showcasing the best in British farmhouse cheeses and small plates offering a kaleidoscope of flavours to coffees on the go and early bird breakfast deals, the newest Blacks Corner is the biggest and most ambitious to date.

The Blacks Corner team are well-known in the area for giving spectacular new life to heritage buildings, starting with the original Blacks Corner in East Boldon, which won design awards, and more recently the sympathetic restoration of the Tram Shelter in Seaburn.

Now, owners Jonny Dryden and Chris Lowden are bringing the Blacks Corner mark of quality to the city centre.

“We are known for our heritage projects, but with this Blacks Corner we wanted to create something that was specifically Sunderland city centre and not just simply transplant a concept that could sit in any city,” said Jonny.

“This is a major moment for Sunderland city centre and we feel a real responsibility to deliver something worthy of the building and the ambition behind it.”

As such, Sunderland’s industrial heritage, architecture and changing city centre has influenced the materials, colours and character of the aesthetic, which is aimed at being refined and contemporary as well as feeling warm and welcoming.

The new Blacks Corner opens this Saturday, September 12, along with the whole of Culture House, which is set to be a new landmark for the city, a space for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

As well as the bar and restaurant, the Blacks Corner team is operating the Culture House gift shop, featuring the work of a host of local and British artists and makers, and will also be catering for events throughout the building, from people wanting to order coffees for a podcast recording to a drinks reception in the events space.

In the new Blacks Corner on the ground floor, there’s 80 covers, including booths, stool seating at the cheese belt, a bar area and a private dining tasting room, which can be booked by any groups of eight and over.

Speaking about the cheese and charcuterie belt, where you can select dishes as they rotate past, Jonny said: “We always champion British farmhouse cheese and charcuterie from independent producers and this was a way to present it in an entirely new way and scale for Culture House.

“It’s a playful and accessible way to discover and support British farmhouse producers.”

He added: “Culture House has an impressive architectural presence, but the challenge was making the ground floor feel immediately welcoming: somewhere you can call in for coffee, browse the retail offer, sit at the cheese belt or stay for an evening of food and wine.”

Blacks Corner Culture House will be open daily from 8am for coffees and early bird breakfasts, which people can get on the go, through to brunches, cheese and charcuterie on the belt and small plates.

Moving forward, there will also be workshops and events, including wine and cheese pairing nights.

Local chef Sonal Mistry, who is known for her supper clubs around the area, has worked with Blacks Corner on menu development.

“The whole ethos behind why we created the menu was that Blacks Corner have such great links with where they buy their meats and cheeses from and the provenance of their ingredients,” said Sonal.

“We wanted the menu to reflect that more, so the Cornish Kern is one of the standout cheeses, literally tastes like fudge, so we’ve added that to the chips - the first time Blacks Corner has done chips. It’s about the meats and cheeses being showcased across the menu.

“So on the short rib, we’ve got the Colston Bassett Stilton. We’ve also got vegan and gluten-free options on there, to cater for all who visit Culture House.”

Culture House opens fully from 10am on Saturday, September 12 with an opening ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a whole host of activity throughout the building during the course of the day.

No tickets are required, anyone can call in and explore the new building, its library, play area, galleries and more.

*From Saturday, September 12, Blacks Corner, Culture House, will be open seven days a week from 8am. Walks in welcome at the bar, however, if you’d like to book a table in the restaurant side you can do so at BlacksCorner.co.uk