The original ale supplier of a tavern that once stood on the doorstep of Sunderland’s hottest new venue has created a special lager as a homage to those past brewers.
The Sheepfolds Stables site in Sunderland
After the success of its exclusive Pit Pony lager, brewed by Sunderland-based Vaux, Sheepfolds Stables — a new £4m venue in Riverside Sunderland — has partnered with Camerons Brewery, to create a new lager. It will be served from the venue’s main Taproom and second bar, Back of the Pit.
Lamplight, exclusively available at Sheepfolds Stables, has been named to honour Sunderland’s mining heritage, with one of the last collieries to close on Wearside, Wearmouth Colliery, just metres from the venue.
Camerons once supplied ale to the Waggon Tavern, which was positioned directly opposite the 1884-built stables, and this provenance is part of the reason the team behind the new venue were keen to work in partnership. They will be serving Lamplight alongside other locally-produced drinks from suppliers including Vaux and Maxim Brewery.
Lamplight will be served as the bar’s house lager. It’s a clean and refreshing, traditional, 4% ABV pilsner-style beer.
As well as the new relationship with Camerons, Sheepfolds Stables will also be strengthening its partnership with McColls Brewery, in Bishop Auckland, and will be serving Crowded, a classic pilsner using 100% malted barley and aromatic German hops. Cold matured for seven weeks and naturally carbonated to produce a crisp, well-balanced, and refreshing lager beer, Crowded has a refreshing bitterness and a touch of sweetness.
The venue is looking to have a ‘pop-up’ approach, with different drinks on offer to keep the choice interesting. It is even looking to introduce some vendors to serve different food options on a temporary basis, including Hairy Biker Si King, with his food offering Propa.
“We’re thrilled to be adding to our great line-up of lagers with Lamplight,” said Nigel Wood, general manager of Sheepfolds Stables. “It’s incredible to think that, in years gone by, when the Waggon Tavern stood just metres from here, Camerons would have been making the journey north to deliver ale to be enjoyed by locals. To be able to bring that brand back to the area is brilliant, and we’re really proud to add it to our line-up of lagers.b
“This whole venue is built on heritage and provenance, so it was important to us to partner with drinks producers that bring that to the table. With Camerons’ connection to the area, it allows us to further add to the offer for customers, while restoring a trading relationship between the brewery and our Sheepfolds venue.
“We have sold more than 20,000 pints of Pit Pony since we opened our doors. We’ve effectively been drunk dry of our supplies, and the guys at Vaux are busy brewing more to keep up with demand. But we’re sure Lamplight will prove to be just as popular with people looking to try a nice, easy-drinking lager.”
The Waggon Tavern stood directly opposite the Sheepfolds Stables site and carried a mural on the front denoting its connection to Camerons Ales.
