Best Wards pubs

[sadbrewer]

The Red Lion on Hollis Croft was decent, the Phoenix at Ridgeway?...before they converted it to a restaurant was superb, one of the best was The Royal Albert at Blacker Hill.

   I sold cask conditioned Wards in my freehouse from 1987 until the brewery closed and it was magnificent. The only snag they had was a head retention problem referred to a cracked ice head, it was due to the yeast strain that they shared with Shipstones Bry in Nottingham  that was getting a bit long in the tooth....they could have solved it  by adding a head retention compound but they were too traditional for that. 

  In the early 90's Shipstones closed and a decision was taken to use the yeast of Vaux (Ward's parent company) in Sunderland, it did lead to a slight flavour and aroma change, particularly at first.. but it was still superb beer when looked after properly.

[Longcol]

A good 40 years ago I used to play darts for the Red House on Solly Street in the old Wards Darts League. Can never remember a bad pint - remember sone good un's - Midland. Manchester, Jack in A Box. Domino, Hallamshire, Harlequin - and the best pint was in a boozer I can't remember the name of , High Green on the right going out of town, only played there once, sank a gallon................