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What was the inspiration behind the colourful decor? Any particular themes or aesthetics that influenced you? PP: The most important thing is we didn’t want to be like anywhere else. Given that the huge windows at the front of the place make everything so bright, we needed lots of art and colour dotted about. I can’t imagine many people saying it looks like that bar over there or it’s similar to this bar in this town. It’s been a joint effort with all of us having input on colour schemes, fittings, bar tops, tiles and so on. We hope people enjoy the space as much as we do. Why did you choose Sunderland as the spot to launch Proven People? PP: There is a passion here and a want for more and more independent businesses to do well. Some of the architecture is mind blowing and when we visited the building we fell in love with it.
Nothing to prove A brand new independent nestling down in the city centre, Proven People is a vibrant hangout, a place where people can bond over great food, share a few drinks and lose themselves in top-quality music from the brightest DJ talents come the weekend. Matthew Thomas checks in with the team behind this new venture on Burdon Road… Tell us a little bit about yourself? PP: We are Elliot, Lee and Paul, three mates who had an idea for a bar that serves great pizza, good drinks and plays great music. When did your passion for food begin? PP: I guess we all love good food. It was important to make a place where you can come for a bite to eat and a drink, or a relaxed meal with friends in a nice environment. We all have different tastes but equally we all love a great pizza in good company. Has it always been a dream to combine your love of music with the hospitality world? PP: We chatted for ages about how we could open our own spot one day. I guess you could say we have matured in recent years and in doing so, realised the potential of a place that marries together the things we enjoy; music, 6
food, good beer, natural wine and spending time with loved ones. How did the inspiration for Proven People come about? PP: We had been looking at various buildings for sometime, trying to find somewhere we could see us making our own. When we found 1-2 Burdon Road, we instantly saw the potential and started adapting our ideas and vision specifically for this building. Tell us about the work that has gone on at 1-2 Burdon Road… PP: We had to bring the place to life a bit, fix a few issues and put our stamp on it without ignoring the heritage of the building. We’ve future proofed the space with new electrics, as well as all new fittings and fixtures. There’s an all new decor, new additions to the kitchen, a whole new bar area, a great sound system that sounds unbelievable and a DJ booth with a full analog and digital set up so our DJs can play their records or more modern cuts in digital format through one of the best mixers in the world. We have also shared our love of artwork with some heritage artwork from over the years and there’s three portraits of Grace Jones, Andrew Weatherall and Frankie Knuckles from a local artist to create hanging on the walls.
Which dishes and menu highlights are you most excited about? PP: Leon, our head chef, has put together a great food offering and he’s covered all bases really. Whether you want a quick glass of wine and a New York pizza slice, or if you’re wanting a selection of small plates to share with a group of friends, there’s plenty to get involved with. There’s lunch specials for the local businesses' lunch footfall and we even have a special stromboli which is unbelievable. We have incorporated fantastic locally sourced seafood on our menu and it’s pleasing to see that our crab and chilli pizza has been a huge success. We are launching a breakfast offering soon and we'll have daily specials too. It’s all happening! PP: Our drinks menu is equally as important. Our manager Jordan is well known around the North East for his prowess with cocktails and he has created us a bespoke drinks list with some exceptional cocktails. We have worked with natural wine specialists Kork in
