Si King tees up new takeaway restaurant venture

Called PROPA!, the concept will be built around grab-and-go and serve a menu, created by King, of ‘nostalgic’ British comfort food.

King has partnered with Richard Marsden, managing director of Building Design Northern (BDN) Ltd, the developer of Sheepfolds Stables, for the restaurant, which is anticipated to be open by the end of the year or early 2025.

Operating as a takeaway hatch, PROPA! will have external seating with an overhead canopy and fire pit.

The menu will include a variety of home-made pies; sausage casseroles; stottie sandwiches; corned beef hash; spam fritters; and panackelty, a traditional Mackem dish.

There will also be a breakfast menu featuring a full English; egg and bacon stottie; and cheese on toast.

“This will be a totally new yet complimentary offering for Sheepfolds Stables and one that we’re confident will go down very well with all who visit,” says King.

“We’re taking people back down memory lane, becoming a custodian of nostalgic food.

“Our focus is very much on creating and serving wholesome, tasty comfort food using the very best ingredients, and these will be sourced from producers local to the city and region.

“Some of the dishes we’re putting on the menu go back generations and are somewhat native to Sunderland and the North East area, so we’re really excited to get started.”

The restaurant announcement was made as part of Sunderland Business Festival, an annual event that sees thousands of the region’s business community descend on the city for a week-long programme of events.

It was hosted at Sheepfolds Stables, which launched back in the summer.

Earlier this year, King’s friend and The Hairy Bikers ​co-host Dave Myers died of cancer​​ at the age of 66.