Established in 1994 the Darwin Brewery has grown steadily over the last ten years to become one of the most respected micro-breweries in the north of England. Recent awards of ‘CAMRA North East beer of the Year 2003/4’,  '2004 Asda Beer Festival' award and most recently the '2005/6 Tesco Beer Challenge' is the perfect way to celebrate it’s decade in Business.

Darwin’s first beers were produced on a very small 18 gallon system based at Brewlab at the University of Sunderland.  Three years later the brewery expanded to Crook, County Durham with the acquisition of the Hodge's Brewery and brewed there until 2002 when two factors resulted in a move back to Sunderland.

Firstly continued growth and popularity of the beers meant space was a problem at the Crook plant with production stretched almost to capacity. Secondly, and perhaps even more important was that the recent closure of Vaux had left the city without a brewery for the first time in well over one hundred years.

With both managers and staff having close links to the city the time seemed right to move back to Sunderland, this time with the purchase of Butterknowle’s award winning 12 barrel plant.
Darwin pride themselves on the wide range and quality of their beers. This has only been possible thanks to the brewery still owning it’s original 18 gallon test plant situated at the University of Sunderland. Up to 40 new beers are trailed on this plant each year, the best of which are then commercially brewed at the main plant - Rolling Hitch, Hop Drop and Ghost Ale to name just three.