The Sun Inn, Stockton-On-Tees

Normally the dreaded 'Craft Union' brand is a sign for despair, but this is the exception that proves the rule. A good and proper pub, happily full to the rafters on a Saturday afternoon, but legendary for the Bass bankers (see below). Which are, of course, exceptional and slip down far too easily. A great example of what an ordinary pub can be.

The famous “sells the most Bass in the country” pub. A very long thin pub, it goes back a long way with the main bar and counter at the front then two further seating areas behind. The front and middle ones with banquettes and Britannias, the rear with higher tables as well as banquettes. Only two handpulls both serving Bass and you can have the banked version (see PSMs description) or straight. The banked version is sublime, don’t bother with the straight one. A copious number of screens and there’s some machines in the back room.

Located in the middle of Stockton town centre, the Sun is a lovely, homely pub with a nice traditional feel and some famously good Draught Bass. The pub has a notional two room layout, although its been opened out pretty much as far as is possible. the front part of the room is carpeted and has some nice button backed banquettes down the right hand wall and the dark wood servery along the left side. The banquettes are supplemented with a good deal of comfy looking chairs and a few old pews under the front windows. A dartboard has been squeezed into a nook opposite the bar and there were a few TV screens around the place showing a mix of live football and horse racing. The walls have been decorated with quite a few old black and white photos from the local area which are well worth a look through. The back room is also carpeted and has enough space for several more tables served by standard chairs and more button backed banquettes. A large pull down screen on the rear wall was showing the aforementioned football match and underneath, a large group of men were enjoying a lively game of dominoes, whilst another group midway down the room were conducting their own pub quiz. There's a smart little garden to the side of the pub with a few seating options and a bit of shelter for the smokers. The pub doesn't do food, but a selection of snacks had been arranged on the bar for customers to get stuck into. The pub used to only serve Bass, but has since introduced a few guest ales, which on this visit were Robinson's Trooper, Thwaites Wainwright and Cameron's Strongarm. The Bass is served in the form of 'bankers', whereby the pint is partly poured and stored in a fridge behind the bar. Upon ordering, the barman takes the glass from the fridge and fills to the top, giving you a nice cool, fresh pint with a quite remarkable head which stands inches above the rim of the glass. I couldn't visit without experiencing this bit of pub theatre and I have to say it was probably the best pint of Bass I've ever tried - a real revelatory pint. This was a really memorable pub experience, not just for the excellent beer but also for the wonderful sense of community and old-school buzz of people enjoying their Sunday afternoon. The pub is clearly very well looked after by the owners and the locals all seemed like a friendly, welcoming bunch. This is a must do for anyone looking to recapture a sense of pub-going culture that is being lost across the country to food-led pubs, corporate chains and endless closures. A superb pub and the first place I will head to the next time I'm in town.

Called in here one quiet midweek night and got chatting to the bar manager, formerly of the North Eastern (q.v.), and the owner, who I presume is Shaun Adams (see below), as I gave him a Pubs Galore card and invited him to visit the site. There are five hand pumps, with Bass on two of them, of which they are very proud, and Theakstons Black Bull on one of the others. I had the Black Bull, which was in good condition. Definitely one to include if visiting Stockton. Date of visit: 25th November 2015