More choice at the seafront

The Davis Family, which owns and operates Durham's Tin of Sardines - the world's smallest gin bar - has announced plans to bring its successful gin emporium and restaurant concept to the seafront.

They have agreed a 10-year lease with the City Council for the former Roker Toilet Block on Pier View - adjacent to the Bungalow Café - and to invest more than £60,000 into the refurbishment of the site, creating ten jobs.

This will follow £250,000 of City Council investment, assisted by grant funding courtesy of The Coastal Communities Fund, to ensure the premises are ready for the tenant. Lease income will support the Sunderland Seafront Trust, which operates the Roker Pier and Lighthouse tours and help it to organise a range of seafront events and activities.

Founded by father and son business partners Lord Trevor and Ben Davis, they opened the first Tin of Sardines venue on Durham's historic Elvet Bridge in 2017 and a similar venue on the south coast in Poole.

Ben, who was born in the city, said: "Tin of Sardines is built on providing a quaint, relaxed atmosphere, where people can meet, eat and drink away from the hustle and bustle. Identifying locations that nurture such an environment has been one of the key factors in our success and for my money - with its breath taking views of the promenade and idyllic location - there aren't many sites in the North East that could come close to this aesthetically."

The plans for the redevelopment - which the family hopes to have open by Summer 2021 - include an open kitchen, a hanging garden terrace overlooking the sea and the offer of an array of cuisines, from breakfasts and coffee mornings to evening brunches and locally sourced seafood and steaks by night.

He added: "With a garden terrace to the rear and an open kitchen and bar, the venue will offer some of the city's finest views while serving up some of the finest locally-sourced produce and some of the world's most sought-after gins.

"We can't thank Sunderland City Council enough for giving us this unique opportunity and we are looking forward to working with local traders as we craft our new offering and breathe a new lease of life into the site."

The City Council has invested more than £10m on seafront regeneration and improvements over recent years, with award-winning environmental and street-scene enhancements helping attract developments such as at Seaburn Stack, the Seaburn Inn and a host of new businesses to Marine Walk. It's a key part of the wider transformation of the city, including the city centre, which is attracting hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into Riverside Sunderland.

Councillor Rebecca Atkinson, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Dynamic City, added: "We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Tin of Sardines to the city and it fills us with even more pride to see a local family returning home to invest in the city."

The lease for the building was advertised over summer 2020 through Sunderland based commercial property surveyors Lofthouse and Partners and interest was strong with scores of bids from interested parties.

Cllr Atkinson said: "The level of interest these buildings attracted just goes to demonstrate how appealing our seafront is, and we're ensuring that we create a high-quality offer that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, creating a vibrant seaside destination."