Three siblings have realised a dream of opening their own restaurant after taking over the reins of an historic Sunderland city centre pub.
Bill, Charmain and John Arrojo have opened Balér, an authentic Filipino restaurant in the former Vestry Tea Rooms on Fawcett Street.
The restaurant serves up Filipino staples such as grilled chicken and pork belly, ribeye steak and grilled seabass, as well as viral sensations such as ube cheesecake, ice cream and lattes.
The name – which translates to ‘home’ in several regional Filipino dialects – was chosen to reflect the “homely” feel the trio have fostered throughout the venue.
Live acoustic acts also perform some nights, inspired by their ancestral homeland where it’s common for restaurants to have live bands playing while guests dine.
John said: “We are thrilled with how Balér has been received so far. Especially, during our opening week where almost every night we were jam-packed.
“We have also started getting regular customers which is really nice and they all say how nice the atmosphere is, particularly the live music.
“Where we are from, almost every restaurant plays live music on an evening and I think it is something that really suits Sunderland.
“People here love to get involved and sing along and it’s just great. We feel as though we’ve really been welcomed with open arms and are delighted to have brought the cosy, welcoming vibe of the traditional Filipino home to Sunderland.”
The three siblings come from a family with a proud history of working in the hospitality industry, with Charmain also having several years experience managing restaurants in Newcastle and John having worked at Seaham Hall’s Ozone and Aperitif, as well as having lectured at Newcastle College.
The trio had long dreamed of setting up their own restaurant and finally made the leap after seeing a host of new bars and restaurants opening up in Sunderland city centre over recent months.
“John and I were sat in a coffee shop in Pallion and chatting about how popular Sunderland was becoming as a place to eat and drink,” Bill said.
“We’d tried most of the new spots, including the new Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean restaurants, and said it’s about time we had a Filipino restaurant.
“Next thing you know, we were on the phone to Charmain who was on holiday and that was that. We made the jump and have never looked back.”
With no prior experience of setting up or running a business, the trio sought advice from the North East BIC and were allocated a dedicated business adviser.
“When we were getting started, we underestimated just how much paperwork and everything needed to be done, so we approached the BIC for support,” Charmain said.
“It was all very exhausting at first but once we started working with the BIC it just made the entire process seamless.
“They pointed us to all the right people and organisations we needed to speak to and were a huge help throughout. Their support has been amazing.”
Kelly Marshall was the business adviser from the BIC who worked with the siblings to launch Balér. She said: “I first met John, Charmain and Bill when they came into the BIC in July and straight away, I could see their passion, ambition and determination to make the restaurant a success.
“Like anyone starting a new business, they had worries and concerns, and I’ve really enjoyed being there to listen, reassure, guide and support them through each stage. We’ve built a lovely relationship, and it’s been wonderful watching their confidence grow and seeing their ideas become a reality.
“I’m genuinely proud of how far they’ve come and proud to have played a part in helping them move Balér forward. John, Charmain and Bill are such a lovely, hardworking family with so much passion and I’ll continue to be in their corner, supporting and encouraging them every step of the way.”
For more information about Balér, visit https://www.balersunderland.co.uk/
The start up support Balér received from the BIC was originally available up to the end of March 2026 as part of the Enterprising Sunderland project, supported through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme which was managed in Sunderland by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership. Funding to continue Enterprising Sunderland up to the end of December 2026 has been secured as part of Sunderland’s Business Support Programme, which is funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority through its Integrated Settlement.