The 2026 North East Regional Pub, Club and Cider Pubs for the North East are below
| Pub of the Year(POTY) | Club of the Year (COTY) | Cider Pub of the Year | |
| Cleveland | The Tipsy Turtle, Stockton | Billingham Catholic Club | <no entry> |
| Darlington | The Quakerhouse, Darlington | Darlington Snooker Club | Blacksmiths Arms, Mickleton |
| Durham | The Grey Horse, Consett | Chester-le-Street Masonic Centre | The Station House, Durham |
| Sunderland & South Tyneside | Blues Micro Pub, Whitburn ( Runner Up- Dun Cow Sunderland) | Boldon Cricket Club, East Boldon (Runner Up – Ryhope Catholic Club) | Blues Micro Pub, Whitburn – (Runner Up- The Avenue, Sunderland) |
| Tyneside & Northumberland | Ye Olde Cross, Ryton Village | The Comrades Club, Haltwhistle | The Bodaga, Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Branch judging of the Pub & Club of the Year entries is now open. Look out for further communication about next steps ; note that our branch are excluded from judging our two entries.
The presentations for our current Pub and Club winners and runners up are in progress. Once completed, a dedicated newsletter will be published.
All Change in South Shields
The Scotia in South Shields Town Centre closed on 16th February 2026.
Nearby The Mile will be reopening ( as a pub) over Easter. Also over Easter, The New Cyprus will reopen as The Cyprus (its former name) on Good Friday.. On Facebook new licensee Graham Cram has been asking which real ales customers would like to see (with an accompanying picture of two handpulls).
On Good Friday the Riversedge will become an Irish Bar called Shenanigans. Formally known as the Riverside and the Riverview Pub & Kitchen , The Riverside was our Branch Pub of the Year on four occasions ;- 1999 to 2001, then again in 2003.
Trimmers are planning to introduce Timothy Taylors Landlord in the next few weeks. Real Ale in the form of London Pride is also coming soon to The Vigilant.
This picture is of The Lambton Arms and The Mechanics overshadowed by a new South Tyneside College Campus development.
Finally , National Bass Day is Easter Saturday and The Stags Head will be celebrating with Draught Bass being available for the day. See also page 18 of the latest CAMRA Angle :- . Angle742600301
In the February newsletter mention was made that The Biddick Inn next to the river in Washington had closed. Well it looks like it will reopen soon in the form of an Italian bar and restaurant called La Familia. The opening date, and whether it will still have a bar for drinks only ( without having to have a meal) to be confirmed.
Congratulations to North Pier Brewery of Roker for their success at the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) BeerX UK event in Liverpool. They won Gold in the Cask Session Pale Ale for their 4% Midas. So congratulations to Josh The overall champion was also a North East Beer ; Almasty for their 6% Cask IPA called Believe.
Press Release :-
SUNDERLAND PUB LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVE TO HELP TACKLE LONELINESS
Loneliness affects people of all ages and backgrounds — and one Sunderland pub is taking simple but meaningful action to bring people together.
Starting on Monday 30 March at 8pm, The Dun Cow on High Street West will launch a new weekly social space inspired by the Empty Chairs campaign, inviting anyone looking for company or conversation to “pull up a chair” and join a community table in the pub’s snug. The idea is simple: every Monday between 8pm and 10pm, an orange hoodie will be placed at a table to signal that the space is open for anyone who wants to sit together and talk. Organisers say there is “no pressure, no expectations, just a friendly spot to share a pint and meet new people.”
Josh Fletcher, Manager at The Dun Cow, said:
“The Dun Cow has always been a welcoming place where people can connect over a pint, without pressure or expectation. Every Monday we’ll put this orange hoodie at a table in our snug, ready for you to come along, fill a chair at the table, and see what happens If no one else shows up, you’ve still had a lovely pint in our pub. But you might just make new friends or have a much-needed conversation with someone.“This is about giving people a no‑pressure way to meet others, strike up a conversation, or simply enjoy a pint without feeling alone.”
The new initiative is open to people of all genders and backgrounds, though you must be over 18. Look out for the orange hoodie every Monday from 8pm–10pm at The Dun Cow in Sunderland.
Thanks to Andrew Dipper ; Marketing and Sales Director, Culture Quarter
Historic Picture of the Month
In the current issue of CAMRA was an article about former Vaux Drayman Eddie Mahoney. In it he describles how beer was delivered to the Marsen Grotto in South Shields. ( page 10). :- Angle742600301 These deliveries were when there was a lift down to the pub from the top of the cliff. Before Vaux installed a lift in 1938, barrels were lowered as shown :-
In May 1948 the lift had been removed but the new replacement was delayed, the Grotto was down to the last 8 gallons of beer so they hired an ex Royal Navy “duck” to bring fresh stocks from the port at Sunderland.
Branch members are encouraged to measure beer quality by scoring their real ales. This also includes stating which beers they have drunk. The top three most scored beers for the first three months of this year are :-
- Ossett White Rat
- Double Maxim
- Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
The pubs that have had the most scores are :-
- The Wouldhave
- Dun Cow & The Marine (joint)
And Finally :-
At a recent members pub crawl in Durham, Steve Drummond had an unforgettable experience in The Dun Cow; well two actually. He asked for a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. The price was £6.20. He quickly recovered from the shock when he tasted it “ It was the best pint of Landlord I have ever had; I scored it a 5.”
Landlord has the distinction of having won CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain on four occasions, with a further four silvers! The full list can be found here : –Champion Beer of Britain – Wikipedia
Compiled by Ken Paul –March 2026