Vaux Breweries

Vaux Brewery was a major brewer based in Sunderland, England. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Commer delivery truck displaying Vaux livery
Vaux Brewery
TypePublic
IndustryBrewing
FateAcquired
SuccessorWhitbread, Vaux Brewery
Founded1806
Defunct2000
HeadquartersSunderland, UK
Key people
Sir Paul Nicholson (chairman)
Frank Nicholson (CEO)

History

The company was founded in 1806 by Cuthbert Vaux (1779–1850),[1] producing several popular brands including Vaux's Stout, Maxim, Double Maxim, and Sunderland Best Bitter. For nearly 200 years, it was a major employer in the city.[2]

In 1972, the company bought the Sheffield-based Wards Brewing Company, which it retained as a separate subsidiary.[3] In 1981, it attempted to establish a foothold in the U.S. with the purchase of the New York-based family-owned Fred Koch Brewery.[4]

By the 1990s, the Vaux Group had expanded into hotels. Despite the brewing business being profitable and an offer to buy it having been received from management, in March 1999 the Board accepted the advice of the Corporate Financier, BT Alex. Brown, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, and decided to close both breweries.[3] This caused Chairman Sir Paul Nicholson, who disagreed with the closure decision, to resign.[5] The company changed its name to Swallow Group plc, and in July sold its tenanted pub estate to a client of the corporate financier, concentrating on Swallow Hotels business and incorporating the former Vaux-managed pub estate under the Swallow Inns & Restaurants brand.[6]

The company was taken over by Whitbread in 2000, following which most of the hotels were rebranded as Marriott and the larger pubs were brought under other national brands, such as Brewers Fayre.[7] Later, 10 hotels unsuitable for Marriott conversions were sold off, forming the nucleus of the current Swallow Hotels chain.[8]

In 2000, two former Vaux directors and the former head brewer formed what is now called the Maxim Brewery, buying some of the beer brands and recipes. They resurrected the former Samson and Double Maxim lines.[9]

The Sunderland brewery was later vacated and the buildings were demolished for redevelopment.[10] In November 2014 a partnership between Carillion and Sunderland City Council was formed to redevelop the site.[11] However, Carillion collapsed into liquidation in January 2018. After a six-month delay, redevelopment resumed in July 2018, with Tolent as the main contractor.[12]

In April 2019 a Sunderland-based company announced their intention to resurrect the Vaux brand.[13] In March 2020 the new Vaux Brewery announced plans to open a new brewery and bar in the centre of Sunderland. [14][15]

Former brands

Former beer brands of Vaux include:

  • Vaux Regal, a strong 'scotch' type ale.
  • Gold Tankard
  • Silver Tankard
  • Samson bitter
  • Double Maxim
  • Single Maxim
  • Bottled Red Label Ale (sweet stout) & Golden Ale (high alcohol content)
  • Sunderland Draught Bitter
  • Lorimers Scotch
  • Norseman Lager
  • Frisk Lager
  • Scorpion Lager
  • How's Your Father, a light, golden, cask conditioned ale sold in summer.
  • Moonlight Mouse, an autumn cask conditioned ale
  • Waggledance, a cask conditioned honey ale, sold to Youngs when Vaux ceased brewing (now brewed by Eagle Brewery in Bedford by Marstons)
  • Lambtons, an ale named after the Lambton family.
  • Fighting Hares (Bottled Ale)
  • Lorimer & Clark's 80/- A strong real ale.

See also

References
  1. Cuthbert Vaux
  2. Vaux Brewery at Wearside Online
  3. Vaux Breweries close BBC News, 2 July 1999
  4. "Vaux buying U.S. brewery," The Glasgow Herald - Jun 11, 1981.
  5. Chairman lifts lid on deal which closed Vaux BBC News, 9 June 2003
  6. "The Sunderland Vaux Brewery: A history". ITV. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. Whitbread set to offer £550m for Swallow Hotels chain The Independent, 22 November 1999
  8. Swallow Group a year after collapse into insolvency Caterer search, 23 August 2007
  9. Delight as brewers turn back the clock Northern Echo, 1 November 2008
  10. Vaux P ... ast and present BBC Wear, 9 October 2008
  11. "19 years and counting: The saga of Sunderland's Vaux Brewery site". Sunderland Echo. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  12. Prior, Grant (19 July 2018). "Tolent restarts work at Vaux site stalled by Carillion collapse". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  13. "Legendary Vaux brewing name set for Sunderland return". Sunderland Echo. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  14. "Reborn Vaux Brewery is set to open its own Sunderland brewery and adjoining bar". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  15. "Vaux Brewery | Sunderland". Vaux Brewery. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
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