We’ve just experienced the revitalised Stockton-On-Tees, and a wonderful thing it is too.
The revitalisation of a town famous for car chase TV and debauchery documentaries is now back to its Georgian best, with the bonus of street art, coffee shops and micropubs. The culinary scene remains the chicken parmo though.
For me though, the town will always be The Sun, one of the great locals. When I wrote about Bass last year, the Sun with its system of banking half-pulled pints of Draught Bass in the fridge demanded a return visit. Complain about THAT head, northerners.
Our weekend exploring Redcar and Seaton Carew was the first opportunity to enjoy some of the best Bass and banter (well, swearing really) anywhere in the UK. To be fair, this pub isn’t a Bass shrine in the way that the Coopers or the Dead Poets is, and the Carling drinkers give it as much of its character as anything else.
Well the Sun was as good as ever, as was the Bass. Darts, doms and Wigan Ahletic on the telly. But the intrusion of a GUEST BEER just didn’t seem right. I felt quite sorry for the Ringwood seasonal, seemingly largely ignored, as it’s no doubt a good beer, but you go to the Sun for Bass.
A slippery slope. It’ll be Cloudwater DIPA in the Dyffryn Arms next, and then what.
If my battery hadn’t failed I’d have brought you some evidence that The Golden Smog, Stockton’s first micro, is a very wonderful place. Might well pop back there now, in fact.
retiredmartin 
They’re still doing the bankers, though, aren’t they?
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Oh yes. A dozen in the fridge. As impressive as ever and a very good Bass. Not sure what the banking does to the taste if anything though !
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I would expect the system to knock all the condition out of the beer. But would you get funny looks if you asked for a normal pint?
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I know you would ! I think the pub has changed hands a few times but retained the system. Would love to know how they decided to add a guest beer, presume they’re not competing on beer range with two newish micropubs.
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