A new brewery on Sunderland's controversial Vaux site? Stranger things have happened ...

Just the name Vaux conjures up a myriad of memories for the people of Sunderland ... and not all of them remembered with a warming glow.
From left to right, Vaux Brewery team Ross Palmer, Matthew Jackson, Michael Thompson and Steven Smith.From left to right, Vaux Brewery team Ross Palmer, Matthew Jackson, Michael Thompson and Steven Smith.
From left to right, Vaux Brewery team Ross Palmer, Matthew Jackson, Michael Thompson and Steven Smith.

Those of a certain age will recall the Vaux Brewery in its pomp, a thriving business fuelling pub and clubs throughout Wearside.

Those happy memories are tempered by the ignominious end to generations of brewing when Vaux was wound up in 1999 with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

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That should have been the last act in the controversy, but the Vaux site was to prove even more problematic for the people of Sunderland.

Years of wrangling between Tesco and Sunderland City Council saw the site lie derelict to the frustration of all.

Today’s news that the Vaux name is to be resurrected is as surprising as it is welcomed.

Whether you have good or not so good memories of the name, the brewery itself is synonymous with the community.

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And if it can recapture some of those glory days, it will be more than welcomed into the fold.

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It’s certainly the aim of the team behind the revival.

Vaux Brewery MD Steven Smith said: “Despite it being 20 years since the closure of the brewery, the brand is as strong as it ever was and is still close to people’s hearts. We see Vaux as a brand with innovation at its heart and it’s that spirit that we are aiming to honour in the coming chapters of its history.”

Who knows, if the new Vaux Brewery proves a runaway success it may well outgrow its current premises.

If so, we understand there are some plots still available in the city, erm, at the Vaux site!

Stranger things have happened ...

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