Category: CAMRA

CAMRA announces the top 16 pubs in the UK

The top 16 pubs in the country have been announced by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) following a year of rigorous judging in its National Pub of the Year competition.

Covering the entire UK, the regional finalists battled it out with thousands of pubs across the country to be crowned the winner in their area.

The cream of the crop will now go forward to the grand final for the National Pub of the Year 2023 crown – the highest accolade afforded to British pubs. The final four will be announced in October, before the overall winner is announced early 2024.

Pubs in the competition are scored on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, but most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry. Last year’s winner was the Tamworth Tap, Staffordshire which has once again reached the final 16.

In the wake of the demolition of the Crooked House, CAMRA recently declared the issue of unlawful conversion and demolition of pubs in England a ‘nationwide scandal’. In 2017 planning law was changed so that pubs in England could not be converted or demolished without planning permission, but shocking figures published by CAMRA last week show that over 30 pubs may have been demolished or converted without planning permission in the last six months. The recognition and celebration of top-quality pubs has never been more important in the fight to ensure that locals across the country are thriving and kept safe from demolitions such as these.

Andrea Briers, National Coordinator for the Pub of the Year competition says: “I am delighted to announce this year’s final 16 pubs. I would like to congratulate each and every one of them for their hard work against a difficult backdrop for the trade with increasing energy costs, business rates and the cost-of-living crisis impacting on people visiting pubs.

“It is testament to the winners that they are facing these challenges head on and they are a shining example to what can be done. I would also like to thank their loyal customers who continue to support them in these difficult times.

“There are thousands of amazing pubs across the country and I would encourage everyone to visit their local and seek out others where they live. Not only will that support local businesses, but pubs play a vital part in communities which we want to both protect, promote and see them thrive.”

The top 16 regional winners

Images of the winners

Central Southern 

Butchers Arms, Balscote

Hook Norton beers and a monthly guest are served straight from the cask behind the bar in this cosy parlour pub. Owned by the brewery since 1878, the building was once an abattoir and still has an icehouse in the garden. A roaring fire in winter and a lovely beer garden make this an all-year destination. Open all day at weekends and from late afternoon Monday-Friday.

East Anglia

Endeavour, Chelmsford

Cosy and friendly community pub, not far from the city centre in the popular Springfield Road area. Three rooms offer a welcoming atmosphere in which to enjoy a selection of regularly changing casks ales. The pub hosts mini beer festivals, tap takeovers and regular charity events. There is a suntrap garden and the pub is dog friendly.

East Midlands

Horse & Jockey, Stapleford

Known locally as ‘The Jockey,’ this welcoming free house offers a choice of 13 real ales, including at least one mild or stout/porter, five of which are LocAle. A split-level pub with the main bar area featuring sofas and high tables and warmed by a wood burner, the upper seated area has tables and perimeter seating, a fish tank and sports TV. large gathering. The pub is dog friendly, with water and doggy treats being provided. Photographs of local landmarks and Stapleford from previous eras decorate, along with whisky water jugs hanging from the ceiling, a yard of ale (if you wish to attempt it) and many CAMRA publications and publicity material. Occasional brewery showcases highlight a range from a LocAle brewery along the bar while occasional beer festivals offer an extended range from temporary stillaging.

Greater London

Hope, Carshalton

Owned by its customers and totally free of tie, this community pub is ‘by beer enthusiasts for beer enthusiasts’. Two regular ales and five rapidly changing guest ales are supplemented by craft keg beers. There is a piano in the conservatory room but no fruit machines, TV or music. The pub has several times been either CAMRA’s Greater London Pub of the Year or the runner-up.

Greater Manchester

Fox & Pine, Oldham

A new and very valuable addition to the previously sparse Real Ale scene in Oldham Town Centre, the Fox and Pine is a real ale lovers delight. 10 hand pumps serving varied beer styles (there will always be at least one dark beer on) plus 6 Real Ciders. The pub also features 5 ABK fonts for those who like traditional Bavarian Beer. The Bar is downstairs with an open seating area, whilst upstairs are two linked rooms. It is all decorated with a Fox and Pine theme (The name referring to the origins of the owners from Leicester and Oldham).

Kent

Nelson Arms, Tonbridge

Situated in a quiet residential area within easy walking distance of the railway station and High Street. A range of six to eight beers across a range of styles representing national and local independent breweries is usually served. Up to 15 real ciders are also available along with craft keg beers.

Merseyside – Cheshire

Turks Head, St Helens

Attractive Tudor-style 1870s pub near the town centre. Real ales and real ciders are on 14 hand pulls, and there is a large whisky and gin selection. The upstairs Tower Lounge serves cocktails plus craft and continental beers and hosts live music on Saturday evening. There is a large beer garden to the side and rear with an outside bar and wood-fired pizza oven.

North East

Grey Horse, Consett

Traditional pub dating back to 1848, the oldest in Consett. The interior comprises a lounge and L-shaped bar, with a wood-beamed ceiling. Open log fires are welcoming in winter. Consett Ale Works Brewery is at the rear. Beer festivals are held twice a year, a quiz each Wednesday and open mic on Sunday. The Coast-to-Coast cycle route is close by. A repeat local CAMRA Town Pub of the Year, including in 2022.

Scotland & Northern Ireland

Hillend Tavern, Dalgety Bay, Fife

A community-focused village pub near Dalgety Bay, with cosy coal fires, a beer garden and real ales all adding to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The Tav, as it is known, has a traditional bar and a spacious area at the rear that is ideal for larger groups or functions and also hosts many village events

South West

Halfway House, Pitney, Somerset

An outstanding hostelry serving eight to 10 regional ales on gravity alongside many bottled beers and four real ciders. The inside is traditional with flagstone flooring, old solid wooden tables and benches, and three real fires. This rustic but busy pub deserves its many accolades and has been in this Guide for over 25 years, gaining the ultimate award of CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 1996.

Surrey & Sussex

Watchmaker’s Arms, Hove

This micropub has a small outside seating area on the pavement with two tables, which are well-used. The pub generally has four cask beers on sale, served from a cold room behind the bar, rotating fortnightly. Cask beers are almost always from small breweries, with many from Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent. Real cider is also always available, mainly sourced from local producers.

Wales

Magic Dragon Brewery Tap, Wrexham

Single-roomed pub that is the tap for the Magic Dragon Brewery, based just outside Wrexham. The pub is on the edge of what was known as the Beast Market, in a building that was originally the Elephant & Castle and after several changes of use is now pleasingly back as a pub. Its compact interior features bare brick walls and a wood-panelled bar. Six handpumps dispense at least three Magic Dragon beers including a dark ale.

Wessex

Barking Cat Alehouse, Poole

Popular, vibrant two-roomed alehouse serving an interesting choice of beers, mainly from small breweries around the UK. There are eight real ales and six traditional ciders or perries on handpump alongside 10 craft keg beers.

West Midlands

Tamworth Tap, Tamworth

An elegant building, home to Tamworth Brewing Company and its tap. The cosy upstairs rooms have Tudor features, the historic courtyard beer terrace to the rear offers striking views of Tamworth Castle, and there is café-style seating to the front. Eight hand pulls usually feature one Tamworth ale, the rest from near and far. Various snacks are offered, plus a wide range of ciders, gins, wines and bottled beers. There is a ‘CAMRA corner’ at the bottom of the stairs which includes a rare, complete set of Good Beer Guides. The courtyard features regular live music with local performers, bat watch evenings, and the occasional screening of cult films on a large screen.

West Pennines

Trafalgar Hotel, Ramsey, Isle of Man

A long-standing real ale pub on the harbour, now owned by Odin and usually serving four of the brewery’s beers plus two guests. There are unobtrusive TVs showing sport. Outside is a small area of wooden bench seating that overlooks the harbour.

Yorkshire

Beer Engine, Skipton

A well-established micropub in a tiny street between the town centre and the canal, with a friendly and welcoming ambience. Six handpumps dispense varying beers, always including one blonde or pale ale and one dark brew, plus a character beer. Extended in 2022, the bar now includes craft keg fonts. A still cider and a fruit cider are also on tap alongside a selection of bottled beers, cans and wines.

We need your help

Well, it’s just over three weeks until the Lincoln Beer Festival opens and, at the moment, we are looking a bit thin on the ground for volunteers.  If you are planning to help, please complete your forms sooner rather than later, so you can put the Volunteer Manager’s mind at ease.

If you have already applied via email or web form, you will receive an email in the coming week or two.  Please encourage your friends and family to come along and help too.  As the saying goes, many hands make light work. 

Check this website over the next couple of days for a list of areas where we are short of volunteers.

The Tap is Finally Turned Off

After a major renovation, The Vine Inn on Newland Street West re-opened in December 2013 as the West End Tap. When father and son team, Nigel and Lewis De-la-Hey bought the street-corner local from Punch Taverns, they found it in a neglected state. Extensive works gave the pub a fresh, contemporary look, designed to appeal to students as well as other locals.
With five handpumps on the bar, the West End Tap offered an interesting and ever-changing range of real ales. Keg beers from global brewers were available from dispensers on the bar, while the four taps built into the wall were reserved for more interesting Belgian and US craft beers.
As one of the genuine free houses in the city, the pub had a significant commercial advantage over other establishments. The quality of the pub and its beers were recognised when it earned a place in CAMRA’s “Good Beer Guide 2016”.
In an area where there is sometimes tension between students and other residents, the West End Tap generated community cohesion and social interaction. It improved the “liveability” of the area and made a positive contribution to social wellbeing. It also provided employment opportunities. There is no doubt that the West End Tap was an important community facility.
Unfortunately, the West End Tap did not re-open after the COVID lock-downs and, in July 2021, the owners applied to convert the pub into dwellings, claiming that the business was no longer viable. In response, local residents set up the “Keep the Tap Running” group, arguing that the business was an important and viable community venue and that its loss would have a negative impact on the area. The pub was registered as an Asset of Community Value and, in April 2022, Lincoln City Council rejected the planning application.
The campaigners were delighted but their joy was short-lived. The owners appealed against the decision and, in March 2023, The Planning Inspectorate overturned the City Council’s decision and granted permission for the change of use.
Before the decision had been made, Marianne Langley, secretary of the Keep the Tap Running group, had submitted a paper to the City Council arguing that the Council’s pub protection policies were not fit for purpose and that urgent action was needed to provide stronger protection. The Planning Inspectorate’s reasons for allowing the appeal add weight to Marianne’s argument.
In a note to the Council following the decision, Marianne stated that, “Our pub protection policy MUST be improved if we are to have any chance of safeguarding these community assets going forward. I am deeply committed to this and will help in any way possible to bring about this much needed change.”

Tax reforms brilliant news for small brewers and cider makers, but changes needed to avoid a stealth ban on takeaway pints

Nik Antona, CAMRA National Chairman, has responded to the publication of details on reforms to the Alcohol Duty System, coming into force on 1 August 2023.

On the new draught duty rate for beer and cider:

“CAMRA has campaigned for many years to secure a draught duty rate, and we are pleased that this has come to fruition. We particularly welcome the confirmation that traditional gravity dispense will be captured within the new, lower, duty rate.

“With the Chancellor extending the differential between the general and draught duty rates to 9.2% in the Budget, we look forward to campaigning to further increase that differential to the benefit of pubs, social clubs, and consumers.”

On the new Small Producer Relief Scheme:

“Small brewers and cider makers will be pleased to see the details of the new Small Producer Relief Scheme, so that they can start planning for the future.

“With stubbornly high inflation and the impending cliff-edge drop-off in energy bill support, small producers need more help than ever to compete with the purchasing power and economies of scale enjoyed by the global producers that dominate the UK beer and cider market.

“Small cider makers will also benefit from a progressive duty system for the first time ever, supporting them to grow and increase choice of artisanal ciders for consumers.”

On the announcement that decanting from draught-duty paid containers for consumption off the premises will be prohibited:

“Despite our formal representations and extensive engagement with the Treasury, a workable solution to allow pubs and social clubs to make incidental takeaway draught sales has not been found. It’s good that specialist bottle shops will be able to buy casks and kegs with the general duty rate paid on them to make takeaway sales, but most publicans – who the draught duty rate is designed to benefit – won’t be able to afford or accommodate extra draught containers just to make takeaway sales.

“This, if implemented, will equate to a stealth ban on takeaway pints and is extremely disappointing for licensees and consumers, and especially designated drivers that like to take away a pint or two to enjoy responsibly at home. We will continue to campaign for a workable solution.”

On the confirmation that the reforms will apply in Northern Ireland:

“We are pleased to see confirmation that the reforms will apply to Northern Ireland, including the Small Producer Relief Scheme. Northern Ireland has a growing independent small beer and cider scene, and those producers need to be supported in their quest to increase choice for consumers.”

11p draught duty cut welcome but lack of energy bill help will see communities lose local pubs and social clubs

Responding to the Budget, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: 

“The Chancellor has made a welcome move to increase the draught duty rate discount to 11p, which will help pubs compete with the likes of supermarket alcohol. However, the lower tax rate is not coming until August, and we must hope that as many pubs as possible will be able to keep their doors open until then.  

 “With many parts of the licensed trade struggling to make ends meet, and consumers tightening their belts, hikes in general duty rates are the last thing breweries need, so it’s right that general duty rates have been frozen until the new system is introduced.  

 “With support for energy bills being extended for households, licensees will be devastated to hear that help for them will end on 1 April. This was a make-or-break Budget for pubs and social clubs, and the future of many businesses is now at risk, with an imminent cliff edge in support and rocketing energy costs on top of the other pressures facing the licensed trade. Communities will lose their local pubs because energy support is ending. 

 “It is also bitterly disappointing not to see the extension of help for pubs and breweries with the burden of business rates. With current support schemes due to end in 2024, these rates bills can be the difference between continuing to trade or having to close for good. The Government urgently needs to reform the whole business rates system to fix the issues with this unfair system and help to protect our pubs.”  

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