First look inside the new Sea Change cafe at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens

Sea Change officially opens its doors tomorrow, Saturday, March 8, after giving new life to the cafe site which has stood empty for the past year.

It’s a sister site to the much-loved Sea Change in South Shields which opened in Ocean Road in 2019.

They’ll be bringing their trademark features, such as vegan and vegetarian food, to the cafe - including their vegan saveloy dips - whilst also being able to expand their offering due to the size of the Winter Gardens site.

Like the original Sea Change, it has a strong community ethos and provides employment opportunities for people who are neurodiverse, with 11 new roles created by the new branch.

Sea Change was established by AutismAble after they struggled to find employers willing to offer neurodivergent people a role.

The cafe opening hours will be the same as the museum’s, Monday to Saturday, and will be offering a limited menu for the first few weeks as they establish the kithen.

But you’ll still be able to pick up a range of drinks, cakes, pink slices, Cheesas (the Sea Change signature grilled sandwiches), jacket potatoes, kids packed lunches and more.

Moving forward, the chef is looking to introduce dishes inspired by local history showcased in the museum’s collections.

Sarah Farrell-Forster, CEO and founder of Sea Change and AutismAble, said the team is looking forward to welcoming the Sunderland community through the doors.

“We’re really excited,” she said. “There’s been so much interest when we’ve been working on the site. People seem really glad to see a cafe back at the Winter Gardens. There’s been so many people walking past and asking questions.

“We’ve had lots of enquiries about job roles, too, which shows the demand.”

Bryn Howard has been part of the Sea Change team for six years and will be moving from the South Shields site to Sunderland.

“It’s a challenge, but one we can pull off,” he said. “We’re all really excited. A few years ago, I never thought I would have the independence to have a job like this and be able to drive.

“But Sea Change has changed my life and I have a great team behind me. Also, and sorry to Dicksons, but I think our saveloy dips are even better than theirs.”

The second Sea Change marks the start of a new chapter for the CIC which a year ago faced closure due to the rise in energy costs.

The community stepped in, however, raising thousands of pounds to save the community asset.

The new cafe will also be utilising the terrace overlooking Mowbray Park, which will be dog-friendly.

Museum & Winter Gardens improvements

It was recently announced that the Winter Gardens has been awarded £488,000 from the Arts Council.

It will be used to address issues with corrosion, glazing failure and mechanical systems within the Winter Gardens, protecting its tropical plant collections.

Sunderland City Council is planning to match fund this latest Arts Council funding with £171,000 from its own funds, bringing the total investment in repairs to the Winter Gardens to £660,000.

The much-loved Winter Gardens houses more than 2,000 species of plants below its glazed dome, with a curving staircase leading up to its treetop walkway. It also features a pond with Koi Carp and an impressive water sculpture.

The funding announcement comes as work nears completion on repairs to the roof and masonry of the original Grade II listed 1879 Museum & Winter Gardens.

This was carried out with the support of a £349,000 MEND2 grant from an earlier round of Arts Council funding in 2023, with the remaining £151,000 coming from the City Council.

It takes the total investment in improving the venue overall to more than a £1million.

This latest funding forms part of a package of funding that Sunderland City Council is pulling together for the museum, including plans to submit a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in May 2025 for a multi-million pound redevelopment of Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens.