Ember: Sunderland’s Culinary Firestarter
When Ember opened its doors at Sheepfolds Stables a year ago, few could have predicted just how much heat it would bring to Sunderland’s culinary scene.
In a city better known for its football chants and shipbuilding heritage than boundary-pushing gastronomy, Ember has quietly – and then not so quietly – flipped the script.
Ember opened its doors with quiet confidence and bold ambition. Tucked inside one of the city’s most exciting regeneration projects, it promised to do something different: not just serve exceptional food, but tell stories through flavour.
2025 was their ‘Tour of the World’ - a culinary odyssey that challenged their chefs to recreate dishes exactly as they’d be found in their home countries. The results were daring, delicious, and often unexpected. Some menus surprised. All impressed. Along the way, Ember earned a coveted place in the Good Food Guide, cementing its reputation as one of the North East’s most compelling dining destinations.
When speaking with the team at Ember, they said:
“We have just celebrated a huge milestone at Ember: one year at Sheepfolds. What a ride it’s been!
2025 was our Tour of the World, with menus that pushed our chefs to recreate dishes as you would find them in their home countries. Some were wild, all were unforgettable.
We also got into the Good Food Guide which is an incredible achievement and we are incredibly proud. December will be our grand finale - a showcase of this year’s favourites, plus a Christmas dinner that’s already making us hungry.
As for 2026 we are keeping it under wraps for now, but it will be something you won’t expect to find in Sunderland and very much Ember, pushing boundaries as far as we can.”
For me, Ember is more than a restaurant. It’s a statement of intent and a sign that the North East’s culinary evolution isn’t limited to the bigger cities. It represents a new cultural rhythm for Sunderland - one that values creativity, ambition and world-class experiences without losing its sense of place. Its home, Sheepfolds, has become a canvas for reinvention: industrial heritage repurposed into a hub for culture, dining, and nightlife. In that setting, Ember shines as a kind of culinary theatre - immersive, surprising, and deeply rooted in storytelling.
This December, Ember will stage its grand finale, but the real intrigue lies in what comes next. 2026 remains under wraps, but the team hints at something wholly unexpected - another bold chapter in this city’s unfolding story.
Sunderland may not have been on every foodie’s map before - but Ember is making sure it will be.