VAUX brewery in Sunderland has hired new Head Brewer Les Stoker to manage all aspects of brewing at their Monk Street site.
Les began as many brewers do by homebrewing for several years before moving into beer as a career and spending 5 years improving systems, building the brew team, and perfecting recipes as Head Brewer at Anarchy Brew Co. He left in 2020 to pursue other brewing options, most recently heading up the brewing at Alpha Delta in Newburn.
The new iteration of VAUX started back in 2019 when Steven Smith got chatting to an old school friend, Michael Thompson. A beloved brand name in Sunderland for almost 200 years until its closure in 1999, the pair wanted to respect the VAUX name and bring it back to life, but make it relevant to the new Sunderland that had emerged since the brewery closed. There was then further interest from another local guy, as architect and TV presenter George Clarke loved their vision to move such an iconic Sunderland brand forward that he also invested in the company.
When the brewery’s initial Head Brewer left to return to France, Steven and Michael had a conversation with a mutual friend who recommended Les to take on the challenge of elevating the newest old brewery in Sunderland to the next level. Les will oversee all aspects of brewing, including recipe creation, quality assurance, brewery maintenance, and helping to share beer knowledge with the team and customers.
Les says – “From the moment I first met Steve, and then Michael, we instantly got on. It’s great to be involved in the first modern craft brewery in the city, and to get to know all of the regulars in the taproom”
Creating new traditions
To make VAUX relevant in the 21st century, the team decided to respect the heritage, but concentrate on contemporary beer styles.
The name ‘VAUX’ carries with it a lot of heritage in Sunderland, but the aim isn’t to dwell on the past; whilst the importance of the brand for the city is something the team want to retain, the beers certainly don’t taste like the traditional ales the name once stood for. It’s great to see new traditions being forged to bring new respect to an old name.
“Sunderland has some great new opportunities; over a quarter of a million people live here, and there’s a real buzz about new developments happening here. We were looking for a forward-thinking person who is experienced in making contemporary craft beer, and Les ticks all of the boxes”, Michael said.
The beers
The beers are modern in style, and the team has been very keen to ensure they fit with their local crowd in the taproom, with the importance of sessionable options being at the forefront of what they do. Available in selected independent bottle shops, the VAUX name has proved popular with ex-Sunderlanders living in other parts of the UK.
Les said: “I’ve been given free rein in terms of brewing, but it’s great to see the solid foundations already in place, which gives me lots to build on for the future. It’s nice to watch the craft beer scene emerge and grow in Sunderland, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
The first new beer in development is a 4.5% pale ale (name TBC), which will be super-approachable, using hop varieties that work well in the whirlpool. The aim is for this new beer to be released in keg and cans over the August bank holiday weekend (keep an eye on Vaux’s socials for updates). There are also plans for regular special beer releases, to push boundaries, plus collaboration beers with some well-respected UK breweries, including Howling Hops, Full Circle Brew Co., and S43 Brewery, and they’re open to more collabs and festival appearances, too.
The Taproom
The taproom is already becoming a hub for craft beer in the city, with beers from breweries including DEYA, North Brewing Co. & Mikkeller featuring on the keg menu. It’s open Friday to Sunday, and Les hopes that homebrewers and fellow beer fans will pop in for a chat when he’s there.
The artwork on the taproom wall is from local artist Kathryn Robertson (KR Illustrates) and includes depictions of everything familiar to the city and its brewing heritage.
The Future
Les’s first weekend will be spent with the team as they pour at Liverpool Craft Beer Expo (12th – 14th August), where he’s looking forward to catching up with like-minded breweries and chatting about his new role with beer fans at the festival. Then work begins at the brewery to start the next chapter of this piece of Sunderland’s history.
You can follow VAUX on social media for more updates: