Sunderland has proved there’s a real appetite when it comes to eating out, following the city’s most successful ever restaurant week.
From 17-25 September 56 restaurants, bars and cafes took part in the event, which saw diners able to take advantage of special deals at £5, £10 and £15.
And the huge interest in the week has also brought a welcome boost to the local economy, with an estimated £286,800 spent during its duration.
Sunderland Restaurant Week, organised by Sunderland BID, has become a staple on the city calendar, taking place twice a year.
And those who have participated have reaped the benefits, having seen a huge surge in bookings.
New restaurant My Delhi, based at Borough Road, took part in the event – and was delighted with the response.
“It was our first Restaurant Week in Sunderland and it’s been a huge success,” said Elahi Shah Amin, director of My Delhi.
“We’ve really enjoyed being a part of it and got to welcome lots of new diners.
“As soon as it was announced we started getting reservations weeks in advance.
“It’s great to see the initiative create such a buzz in the city, and we now can’t wait for the next one. Well done to all those involved.”
Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID, said the response this time round had been incredible.
“Sunderland Restaurant Week is always really popular,” she said.
“The fact that we have so many new and exciting restaurants coming into the city has certainly helped give it a real boost this time, as well as the opportunity for people to visit some of the long standing places to eat.
“It’s been a record event for us, both in terms of the economic impact and the number of venues taking part so it really is brilliant news all round.
“We can now start looking forward to next year’s event by which time we should have even more restaurants and bars open in the city centre, which hopefully means that we can continue to grow this really popular event.”
