THE evolution of brewing has seen a return of the long-standing tradition to a North-East city.

Two-and-a-half years after the demise of the famous old Vaux name, a new, much smaller brewery has begun production in Sunderland.

The Darwin Brewery has relocated to Sunderland from Crook, County Durham, where it began life in 1994 as Hodges micro-brewery, a two-man concern supplying cask-conditioned real ales to the managed and free trade sector.

Best known for its Evolution Ale, the brewery has built up supply to more than 50 outlets across the North-East.

In recent years, it used the expertise of fermentologists at Sunderland University's Brewlab, and it has now merged and moved into new premises in Back Tatham Street, near the city centre.

Former Vaux managing director Frank Nicholson welcomed the return of brewing to Sunderland, and performed the official opening of the plant.

He also pulled the first pint of its new flagship bitter, Sunderland Best, bearing a suitable red and white-striped cask-head livery, at the city's Fitzgerald's pub yesterday.

Mr Nicholson, who tried to save Vaux by leading an ultimately unsuccessful management buy-out bid, welcomed the brewing revival in the city.

"It gives me particular pleasure to be launching a new brewery in Sunderland, especially as my latter memories of brewing in the city are sad ones."

The new brewery is owned and managed by partners Keith Thomas, St John Usher and Edward Taylor, backed by the expertise of former Vaux quality controller Alison Hedley.

Mr Usher, the head brewer, said: "The move from our former premises in Crook will provide better supply arrangements to our main customers around Wearside, while trebling brewing capacity to serve the growing free trade and restaurant market that take the brewery's cask and bottled ales."