A lot of things have changed since the middle ages. These days we have flushing toilets and wifi, but we still share with our mediaeval ancestors the love of a great pub.
Some estimate that there are nearly 50,000 pubs scattered across these isles, which is a lot, but they’re not all worth visiting. Some serve lukewarm beer, or have the volume of the screens turned up just a bit too loud. Others have scary landlords or a severe lack of chips and nuts. Basically, there’s a lot that goes into making a great boozer, and some people have made it their life’s work to find the good ones.
The Campaign for Real Ale, otherwise known as CAMRA, publish an annual list of their top boozers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it’s pretty much the bible for fans of good beer. They judge based on a few criteria, including, ‘decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, but most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry.’ For the past two years their champion has been the Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire, but this year could see a new victor emerge from the finals in January.
Although we have a while to go until the winner is announced, they have already named a longlist of regional champions. CAMRA splits the country into 17 different regions so the competition is equally fierce in each, and all of the winners are of a very high standard.
In Scotland, the Hillend Tavern in Dalgety Bay, Fife, triumphed thanks to its welcoming atmosphere with cosy coal fires – perfect for moving into the colder months. Meanwhile, down in greater London, Little Green Dragon, the Winchmore Hill micropub, secured the win as ‘a place to socialise with a drink, free from tv screens and slot machines.’
The winners, and their respective regions, were as follows:
- Central Southern: Bell Inn, Aldworth
- East Anglia: Blackfriars Tavern, Great Yarmouth
- East Midlands: Horse and Jockey, Stapleford
- Greater Manchester: Northumberland Arms, Marple Bridge
- Kent: Nelson Arms, Tonbridge
- Greater London: Little Green Dragon, Winchmore Hill
- Merseyside and Cheshire: Turks Head, St Helens
- North East: Grey Horse, Consett
- Northern Ireland: Dog and Duck, Lisbellaw
- Scotland: Hillend Tavern, Dalgety Bay
- South West: Crossways Inn, West Huntspill
- Surrey and Sussex: Brickmakers Alehouse, Bexhill on Sea
- Wales: Cresselly Arms, Cresswell Quay
- Wessex: Woodman Inn, Bridport
- West Midlands: Bailey Head, Oswestry
- West Pennines: Black Horse, Preston
- Yorkshire: Three B’s, Bridlington
If you want to learn more about any of these highly commended establishments, have a look on CAMRA’s website here. And if you’re only interested in the very best of the best, keep an eye out for the shortlist, which will be released next month (September), and the overall winner, which will be announced next January. Until then, enjoy your proper ales!
Pubs according to Time Out
None of the CAMRA awarded joints taking your fancy? We have our own rankings you might prefer. Here's our favourite pubs in the UK, some seriously stunning boozers you might never have heard of, and the best beer gardens to bid summer farewell from.
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