As long ago as 1780 , brewing alcohol was done on an industrial scale in particular around Monkwearmouth, Bishopwearmouth. At the beginning of the nineteenth century ther was five breweries in Low Street alone. Records show that they had there own wells which produced water free of lime that was found later in the water supplied by the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company.

Sunderland Brewery in Low Street was taken over by the Fenwicks family of brewers who also had a brewery in Chester le Street  as well as owning the Bishopwearmouth Panns Glasshouse producing there own bottles.  Near the  northside  of Wearmouth Bridge on the river bank was James Deuchar who also owned Montrose Brewery.  The famous Lochside Ale would be brought down from Scotland to Sunderland by steam coasters.

Other, not so readily remembered were Branwell Scurfield's Wear Brewery and Wear Street Brewery , both owned by North-Eastern Breweries Limited.

Without doubt , the most recognised brewery  by the 1900's was Cuthbert Vaux and Sons. The family first started brewing around 1805  and there commercial brewery in  Matlock Street around 1837. In 1844  Cuthbert Vaux  had purchas the brewery in Union Street. The building of railway station forced them to move  to Castle Street, off Gill Bridge Avenue in 1875 where they remained until there buyout and subsequent closure. The founders grandson, also called Cuthbert Vaux had been sent abroad to learn the continental skills of brewing from such companies as Carlsberg and brought back to Wearside the bottled ales and stouts.

In 1898 they employed  chartered accountant Frank Nicholson as Manager and secretary  who, in 1914 married one of Cuthbert Vaux sisters. He was made a Director in 1914 and Managing Director in 1919. Despite government restrictions during the first world war he guided Vaux through the war and continued with his expansions of the brewery. In 1927 he created the second largest brewery in the North East when he  amalgamated with the North East Breweries Limited. Right to almost the bitter end, the Nicholson family controlled Vaux.