Keel Tavern, Sunderland

Located in the bottom of the Holiday Inn next to a Botanist, it’s a different kind of bar over two floors. The ground floor has white tiled walls, a floor of small tiles and a mix of furniture from booths to high level table and stools by way of short tables and chairs. The counter is at the back of the ground floor with 18 keg lines (interesting and dreary ones) and three pulls at each end, these are doubled up with Double Maxim, Seacider and a house badged beer name checking Wylam. The decor is brewhouse based with light fittings mimicking brewing coppers and a selection of wooden casks. Upstairs are the toilets and booth seating.

Fairly new bar on the ground floor of a hotel. There were a couple of floors, with the bar to the rear of the ground floor room. 6 handpulls are on the bar - 2 sets of 3 at either end. I missed the set of 3 at one end initially, thinking that the house beer (seemingly a rebadged Wylam Gold) was the only cask ale. However, I later found Wear Beer Hazy Pale & Seacider Passion Fruit on another of the pulls. Craft beers were Northern Monk A Little Faith, Wylam Jackehead & Hickey The Rake & Vaux A Hazy Shade of Citra. The bar was quite busy on a matchday but the interior has quite modern furnishings and it didn't inspire me too much. A CAMRA discount is offered, even on halves. I forgot to ask for our first round, but benefitted on the second.

Official site of Keel Tavern - keeltavern.co.uk

Official site of Keel Tavern - keeltavern.co.uk