68,000 plus pints of Pit Pony lager, 350 live gigs, circa 23,250 slices of the top three most popular pizzas, over 20,000 cocktails, 29,000 homemade pies and more than 40,000 doughnuts… that’s just some of what’s gone down over the past year as the award-winning Sheepfolds Stables gears up to celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday.

Sunderland’s historic, ‘hot spot’ hospitality venue has rapidly established itself as one of the North East’s most popular food, drink, entertainment and event destinations in its first 12 months of opening, and is now thanking customers for making it a huge success.

Welcoming thousands of customers through its gates week in week out, the independent Grade II-listed venue has become a massive hit with visitors from the city, the region and beyond, so much so that approximately 68,000 pints of its own exclusive Pit Pony lager – born out of a collaborative partnership between Sheepfolds Stables and Wearside’s most iconic brand, Vaux, have since been pulled at its Taproom and Back of the Pit bars.

An estimated 11,000 guests have attended over 180 corporate and private events, 350 live gigs by local bands, artists and performers have been played, whilst jobs for circa 100 staff have also been created, benefitting the local community, its supply chain and the wider city economy.

The historic venue has also become a major catalyst for growth for Wearside and the surrounding area, supporting Sunderland City Council’s ambitious Riverside Sunderland regeneration masterplan and encouraging other local organisations to invest, launch and grow as part of a wider business community.

Furthermore, since its 2024 launch, Sheepfolds Stables has also received national media recognition as well as industry awards including being named Commercial Property Development of the Year and Refurbishment/Fit-Out of the Year at the North East Property Awards 2025.

It has also become an ‘unofficial’, family-friendly fan zone for the many thousands of SAFC fans going to games at the neighbouring Stadium of Light, and this is expected to increase further with promotion to the Premier League.

Its monthly Local Heroes food market which supports independent producers and traders has also become a hit attracting many visitors to each event.

Rick Marsden, Managing Director of Building Design Northern (BDN) which developed Sheepfolds Stables, commented: “We could never had envisaged the response that we’ve had and the support that people have shown over the last twelve months. It has been incredible and for that I would like to thank everyone who has made Sheepfolds Stables what it has become today – our staff, our customers, our operators, our partners, our suppliers and the local business community. Your support has been unwavering.

“Everyone has really taken Sheepfolds Stables to their hearts, and this was very evident on our launch weekend where the bars, the plaza areas and the restaurants were full and the queue to get in tailed back to the stadium. It was immense and amazing to see, and we’ve never looked back since.

“Sheepfolds Stables brings something totally unique to a city that is rapidly on the up, and we are very much looking forward with many more things planned, especially once the new Keel Crossing opens and the Riverside Sunderland development continues to take shape.

“As well as the hospitality side, we are now a popular choice for corporate and private events too which also attracts new audiences to the city.

“The venue’s heritage and history are without doubt a major pull and somewhat of a tourist attraction too, so we also plan to promote and educate more people on that, especially welcoming school groups and young children.

“It’s an exciting time and we’re very much creating the next chapter in Sheepfolds Stables’ legacy.”

The success of Sheepfolds Stables in its first year of opening is also down to its eclectic mix of independent operators, and for some, the venue has provided the perfect launchpad to open their first venture, scale-up or expand their business into Sunderland. This has included Propa! by TV personality and hairy biker, Si King which opened in December 2024 and has since sold circa 29,000 pies, the fans’ favourite being Steak and Ale.

Ember has been recently named in the Good Food Guide 2025, a major accolade within the hospitality sector, while The Calabash Tree, serving traditional Caribbean and Trinidadian dishes, has been shortlisted for Uber Eats UK Restaurant of the Year. I Scream for Pizza’s top three pizza sales – ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’, ‘NY Cheese’ and ‘Buffalo Soldier’, have sold a whopping 23,238 slices alone, while Deep North, which has also established a popular run club at Sheepfolds Stables, has sold in excess of 40,000 doughnuts – equivalent to one per every SAFC fan based on an average home game attendance!

Additionally, Mother Mercy has sold over 20,000 cocktails, the best-sellers being strawberry daiquiri and pina colada frozen drinks, performing arts and dance company, Southpaw, has engaged with close to 3,500 people and is helping to drive Sunderland’s growing cultural scene, Vito’s Osteria has served more than 23,415 diners and approximately 4,400 home-made lasagne, while Spey Snug, by the award-winning, Speyside Distillers, has sold over 177 bottles of its finest whisky.

TV personality and renowned architect, George Clarke, has also shown his love and appreciation for Sheepfolds Stables calling it an ‘amazing space’.

Rick added: “We could not do this without working collaboratively, hand in hand with our site operators. Every one of them brings a very different, high-quality offer that really defines and sets Sheepfolds Stables apart and that was deliberate from the start. It positions us at the fore of the North East’s culinary and cultural scene, attracting visitors from far afield who want to enjoy a very different, first-class social experience. It’s a great mix.

“Not only that, our Spey Snug by the award-winning, Speyside Distillers, and Southpaw, one of the best performing arts companies, complement our bars and restaurants further by bringing a premium whisky brand and a thriving cultural aspect to Sheepfolds. It’s a close-knit team and again, we are very much looking ahead as one to enhance Sheepfolds Stables further and firmly place it on the map.”

Built in 1884 and having stood derelict for many years, Sheepfolds Stables underwent a jaw-dropping, multi-million pound transformation by BDN that preserved the former stables buildings, saved original features and embraced its rich 140+year heritage to create a modern, vibrant and unique hospitality venue for Sunderland and the North East.