Listed stables to open as city leisure venue

The Grade II listed Sheepfolds was once home to stables for working horses

A Grade II listed building which once housed working horses will soon reopen as a leisure venue.

Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland was built in 1883 and owned by the North Eastern Railway Company, but is now being redeveloped.

Seven restaurants and bars have signed up to become tenants.

It was due to open in autumn 2023, but that has now been pushed back until the end of this summer.

It is hoped the development will open at the end of this summer

Ryan Doyle, the project manager for developer Buildings Design Northern, said it was a "really exciting project to work on".

“We have Asian, Italian and Caribbean restaurants opening, as well as a variety of bar and we've also got outdoor spaces for gigs," he said.

Project manager Ryan Doyle says the project was "exciting"

Chef Vittorio Farigu will open Vito’s Osteria in the Sheepfolds, and said he wanted to be part of the "exciting adventure".

"I saw this as a brilliant business opportunity, and I can’t wait to welcome customers," he said.

Vittorio Farigu grew up in Sardinia but has lived in the North East for many years

Former firefighter Ryan McVay is the owner of the Calabash Tree, a Caribbean Restaurant in Washington on Wearside. He has also signed a tenancy at the development.

"My aim is to bring some of my grandmother's recipes to people in Sunderland, she’s from Trinidad and Tobago," he said.

"I hope myself and the other businesses can help be the heartbeat of this city."

The venue will be connected to the city centre by a new footbridge.

It will provide a pedestrian and cyclist crossing between Sheepfolds and the former Vaux Brewery site, both part of Sunderland City Council’s plans to revitalise the city centre.

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