The Promenade, 1 Queens Parade, Seaburn, Sunderland, SR6 8DA, Tel:0191 5292226.

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The Promenade pub is right on the sea front at Seaburn.

I must admit, I walk along the actual promenade here every week, and if the tide's in and a bit unsettled, it can be spectacular. Strange, for me that is, I had never called at The Promenade to sample the ale even though there's a Cask Marque sign at the door. Must be something wrong with my specs I thought! So after a swift visit to the opticians last week, just to check you understand, I called in for a pint.

A pleasant surprise! Two hand pulls on and a friendly and comfortable interior for the coming winter months. Deuchars IPA and a nice pint of Tetleys real ale.

The Promenade has become a regular haunt. 

The William Jameson,(Wetherspoons), 30/32 Fawcett Street, Sunderland, SR1 1RH.Tel:0191 5145016.

The William Jameson in Fawcett Street was at one time Joplings Department Store, I think. It was so long ago since I was in Sunderland city centre, and there have been so many changes, some not so good. This good building has been saved and is thriving thanks to Wetherspoons.
The beer fest was in full swing with Northumberland's Coffin Dodger, Theakstons Old Peculiar, Ruddles and Abbott to name but a few of the 10 real ales on offer. I went for a Leg Over (chance would be a fine thing) from the Daleside Brewery. Very nice.

The Lambton Worm (Wetherspoons) Victoria Buildings,Low Row, Sunderland, SR1 3QA. Tel:0191 5689910.

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The Lambton Worm it may be called but it is a Wetherspoons with out a doubt. Characterless but nonetheless busy. The beer fest did help and of course the beer selection, see above, was tremendous, (and cheap!).

I couldn't resist the Purkmister Bohemian Schwarbier, a stout from Czech Republic's Purkmister Brewery (4.8%). By the time I'd got through ordering it I was ready for a pint. What a surprise! It was very tasty!

I must admit there were some lovely beers to be had but Its not my idea of a pub.

Fitzgeralds, 12/14 Green Terrace, Sunderland, SR1 3PZ. Tel:0191 5670852.

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Fitzgeralds, Green Terrace reminded me, from the outside, of an ancient solicitor's house but get inside and it's a smashing old pub you must visit.

Although large and mainly open-plan, the old carpet and solid furnishings create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that Cask Task really appreciates.
On top of that the beer selection is excellent. With 11 real ales to choose from including Black Sheep(good grief its everywhere), Timothy Taylors Landlord, Hobgoblin and a fistfull of guests. Harviestouns, Jarrow IPA, a new one on me from First Yard Ales Ferryhill and from the Durham Brewery, my choice for the day, Genesis!
Very nice!

2004 CAMRA pub of the year and deservedly so.
This type of pub, for me, knocks spots off the likes of Wetherspoons.

Get youself in for a pint.

The Clarendon. High Street East, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear.

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The Clarendon in Sunderland was pointed out to Cask Task as a real ale pub that must be seen! So off we went to have a look.

There it is above. Not a place to give great enthusiasm for the serious drinker! Built in the 1600's the pub was always a drinking house but was first officially licenced in 1727. Getting on a bit then eh! But Cask Task is not to be daunted and entered.

It's like stepping into the late 1800s or early 1900s. Magical.

Walk into the pub and facing you is a cast iron oven and fireplace from somewhere in the last century and the bar area feels the same. Walk on through to the rear window and the view directly below is onto the river Wear. Very impsessive.

A pint of the local brew was called for.

A glass of Sol, a very pale beer, went down very nicely thank you. But where it came from was a mystery soon to be solved, when a Mr. Steve Potts appeared from the depths below the Clarendon where there is a brewery.

That tiny alleyway just to the left of the pub states the name as the Bull Lane Brewery. And it brews Jason's Jinja, Ryhope Tug, Clary Brown ( a super dark ale,my favourite), Sauce of the Niall and of course the Sol. What a selection.

Steve was just on his way to put the finishing touches to the Bull Lane Brewery's particiation in the Sunderland Octoberfest on the 8-10th October 2009 at the Bonded Warehouse in Sunderland.

Good Luck and I hope it went well.

Harbour View. Roker, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR6 ONU.

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The Harbour View at Roker. After what seemed like an hour of real ale hunting on a rain soaked day, this modern looking pub hove into view. Keen to get out of the rain Cask Task entered. What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be.

A curved fronted bar housed a real ale drinker's delight of 6 pumps, consisting of Timothy Taylors Landlord and Deuchers IPA as regulars and 4 guest ales. I had never come across Clary Brown (not one of my loose women I must point out), so I gave it a try. It was superb. From a local brewery called Bull Lane Brewing Co..

The Harbour View's others were Wold Top Brewery's Wold Gold, Consett Ale Works' Blast, and Endeavour from the Capt. Cook Brewery. All excellent local north east real ales.

The manager was a pleasant chap and the atmosphere warm and friendly. A good place to enjoy good beer. I could have put my feet up and stayed for the rest of the day. But, as you well know by now, I'm a hard worker for the Cask Task cause and had to move on.

A Ist class real ale pub.

If you want food the Benedict Bar upstairs is there to accomodate.

The Saltgrass, Ayres Quay, Hanover Place, Deptford, Sunderland, SR4 6BY. Tel: 0191 5657229.

The Saltgrass hove into view about 6 months or so ago when looking for a drink after visiting some friends.It was a chilly day and a warm
and welcoming open fire greeted us and a good pint of real ale. My second visit today found the place under new management!
Mark Scott, a Heart of Midlothian man originally,
although now living in Sunderland for some years, has taken it on.
Three wooden handles on show but, disappointedly, only one serving ale! Green King's Abbott Ale it had to be then! It was ok.
Plans for six real ales in total, a sprucing up (not too much I hope) of the interior, and a tidying up of the beer garden are in the pipeline. The previous people were strong on food but Mark is going to concentrate more on the beer. I hope he gets his skates on. One real ale on offer?
Based in Hanover Place, a real ale area with two or three good pubs within easy reach of each other, The Saltgrass is a gem. Loaded with 150 or so years of tradition. Just some choices of beer lacking.
Based behind B&Q and within easy reach of The Stadium of Light, Sunderland's football ground, the pub is a good starting point for the match.
A smashing pub . So come on Mark, get your finger out and get all these pumps working!
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The Kings Arms, Beech Street/Hanover Place, Ayres Key, Deptford, Sunderland,SR4 6BU. Tel: 0191 5679804

The Kings Arms looks like a real pub should look. It took me back...... now thats enough of that! I'll always enjoy Cask Task visits to places like this. Full of atmosphere and traditional looks. Inside and out. It even has 3 street names! Everybody wants it! Just look at the street signs!
Dating back probably 150 years, virtually on the old industrial part of the riverside, The Kings Arms is an old beauty.
The interior even has a couple of 'cosy corners' in the bar and a beer garden at the rear. But on to the beer which has gained it 3 Camra regional beer victories.
There are 9 wooden handles. Producing Durham Brewery's White Amarillo,Village Brewery White Boar Bitter, Bumble Bee from Wentworth, Lambtons, High House Farm beer and so on and so on which, for the main part, are ever changing. My pint was spot on, incidentally.
The Kings Arms must get a good crowd in on match days because The Stadium of Light (what an awful name for a football ground, but I'm an old traditionalist and loved Roker Park) is within its sights.
Good pub. 1st class beer. What more can you want.
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