Independent café serves up weekly gin bar all summer-long

An Ouseburn café is toasting the onset of summer by collaborating with a regional spirits company.

The Factory Kitchen – an independent café housed in The Biscuit Factory art, craft and design gallery – has teamed up with Hepple Spirits to host a gin bar every Sunday.

Sloe Sundays will run until the end of August, with the café serving specially created gin cocktails from Northumberland-based Hepple Spirits from a bar on its urban rooftop terrace.

Cocktails will include the Long Sloe Summer – a fresh and light cocktail combining gin with sherry and tonic water, inspired by the flavour of the Hepple Sloe and Hawthorn Gin.

Nick Strangeway, Hepple Co-Founder and Spirit Developer explains: “The full fruit flavours of Hepple Sloe and Hawthorn Gin are the perfect complement to the sophisticated range of mixers that make light and elegant drinks in the summer.”

The pop up bar will be complemented by a soul playlist and botanical themed specials on the café’s all-day brunch menu, which includes a selection of vegetarian and vegan options using locally sourced produce.

The new weekly event launches on Sunday 16 June with a DJ set 12pm until 4pm from Deja Brew – a collection of Sunderland-based DJs who play jazz, soul, funk and Latin on the decks.

Sloe Sundays form part of The Biscuit Factory’s new summer-long programme of art, workshops and food and drink events inspired by this season’s headline artist Simon M Smith, who paints decorative floral patterns using bold shapes and colours of nature.

For more information about Sloe Sundays, which take place on Sundays from 10am until 5pm, visit The Biscuit Factory website.