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Sunderland Restaurant Week

Sunderland Restaurant Week returns! 12 - 20 March

The tastiest week of the year has returned in triumphant fashion, as Sunderland BID welcomes one of the region’s biggest food and drink celebrations back to the streets of Sunderland!

,Yes, Sunderland’s ever-popular Restaurant Week is returning, a fantastic opportunity to try out some of the new kids on the block or a good excuse to return to an old favourite. The city’s food scene has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, which is great news for hungry foodies. With cuisines ranging from Mexican to Italian, from Chinese to Indian, from classic British gastro pubs to high street favourites – those hitting the city streets are really spoilt for choice. Sunderland Restaurant Week which runs from 12 – 20 March (yes, we know, slightly longer than a week in reality, but, is anyone complaining about that?) already has some amazing venues signed up with more joining every day. Each restaurant, bar or pub across Sunderland will have deals at £5, £10 or £15. Think of it as your exclusive invitation to make that visit to a newly opened eatery or reacquaint yourself with a much-loved haunt. Restaurants in the mix so far include favourites such as Angelo’s Ristorante, Asiana and No2 Church Lane, along with Grannie Annie’s, Enfes and Port of Call. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then take

advantage of the deal available at Hotel Chocolat at the Bridges, or why not order from the popular Sweet Petite which is participating for the first time. Seaburn Bay, which is fast gaining a reputation for its high-quality fish and chips, is also taking part as are city centre favourites 808 Bar & Kitchen, The Keel Lounge, The Old Vestry and Ttonic. Which means it doesn’t matter what your tastes are, there really is something to please everyone. The event, which is organised by Sunderland BID is now in its sixth year and is always one of the most popular weeks on the city calendar. “Sunderland Restaurant Week is always a brilliant experience and it puts a focus on the really exciting food scene we have in the city,” said Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID. “We have so many great places to eat and the event not only flags this up to people who live in Sunderland but also brings visitors from outside of the city to take advantage of the offers, which gives a huge boost to the local economy.”

FULL DETAILS OF ALL THE PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS, THE OFFERS AND THE VOUCHERS WHICH NEED TO BE DOWNLOADED CAN BE ACCESSED AT SUNDERLANDBID.CO.UK/ RESTAURANT-WEEK

Boosting Sunderland’s shopping scene

It could be a birthday, anniversary or simply just a thank you – how many of us have agonised about buying someone the right gift?

Your taste might not be the same as that of the recipient, so there’s always that worry that you’ve picked something you’d adore but that actually it’s the polar opposite of what your friend/relative/ colleague would like. A recent survey carried out by Royal Mail highlighted that people really do like to receive gift cards. It gives shoppers the flexibility to choose something for themselves that they *really* want. And if you needed further proof, a second poll carried out by YouGov said that money or gift cards were the top present choice by adults. Giving money can often feel a little uncomfortable, a gift card is a perfect alternative – and by using the Sunderland Gift Card you also have the additional factor of knowing you are giving back to the local economy. Since it was launched more than a year ago, the Sunderland Gift Card has gone from strength to strength. Now there are more than 150 businesses signed up, from major retailers to beauty services, from florists to hotels, bars, restaurants, cinemas. In fact, pretty much every kind of retail outlet you can think of. What also makes this a very attractive option is the numerous ways that it can be purchased. From buying a card online that would be sent out, the scheme, which is operated by Sunderland BID, now offers a digital E-card which means that it can land with the recipient almost immediately. That’s great news when you’re faced with the panic of a forgotten birthday or a last-minute thank you – it gets send out within minutes and can be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay and used to make contactless purchases. Of course, some people prefer to pick up their cards when they’re out and about, which is why the city now has several physical sales points where you can just buy in person. These sales points include Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens and National Glass Centre. More locations will be announced soon. The physical cards can be bought from the value of £5 upwards, with the minimum value of the E-cards £10.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW SUNDERLAND GIFT CARD WORKS OR TO PURCHASE ONLINE, VISIT SUNDERLANDGIFTCARD.COM