16 best British pubs have been named for 2019
The list features a range of pubs from micropubs to street-corner locals and community pubs
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Your support makes all the difference.The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has rounded up its 2019 list of the top 16 pubs in the country.
The shortlist is part of a nationwide search that will end in the naming of the 2019 National Pub of the Year - and it incorporates a wide range of pubs, from those that “brew their own, host beer festivals, music and community events” to those with “fantastic interior design,” according to the organisers.
The winners, which all boast the characteristics of a good pub - “atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, and quality real ale” - will be featured in CAMRA's 46th edition of the Good Beer Guide.
In the Central Southern region, The Nag’s Head in Reading beat out all of the other pubs - which is not a surprise considering it’s previously won the honour of CAMRA Pub of the Year and Cider Pub of the Year. This is its second consecutive year on the list.
Chequers in Little Gransden, a multi-award winning village pub received the nomination in East Anglia - a testament to the good service available at the pub that’s been run by the same family for over 60 years.
The winner for the East Midlands is White Hart, in Bargate - an honour also bestowed upon the pub in 2017 and 2018. The pub is known for its “excellent selection of changing cask ales” and a large beer garden.
In Greater London, the Little Green Dragon pub in Enfield emerged as the winner. The former hair salon is the area’s first micropub, according to the press release, and it was also on last year’s list.
Greater Manchester’s local winner is Flying Horse in Rochdale - an “impressive Edwardian stone free house situation in the town square hall.”
Lanes in Dover was the winner from Kent - a micropub that serves 10 types of ciders and five real ales.
Cricketers Arms in St Helens won from Merseyside. The pub was named last year’s national winner and hosts beer festivals throughout the year.
In the North East, the Golden Smog pub in Stockton-on-Tees made the list - the town’s first micropub - which is aptly named after the town’s environmental conditions.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, Volunteer Arms in Musselburgh stood out. The pub, which has been run by the same family since 1858, has a modern lounge that opens on the weekends.
The South West pub the Fleece Inn in Hillesley also made the list, and features six real ales.
In Surrey and Sussex, Surrey Oaks, a 16th century inn in Newdigate was chosen. The pub serves excellent food and hosts bank holiday beer festivals in the large garden, according to the press release.
In Wales, the winner is the Bridge End Inn in Ruabon, which won the CAMRA national award in 2011. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the lounge.
The pub winner from Wessex and the Channel Islands is Wonston Arms, Wonston, a “true community pub in the heart of the village.”
The West Midlands winner was the Fountain Inn in Leek, which “prides itself on having an ever-changing choice.” On Sundays, the pub offers live music.
In West Pennines, the Little Bare in Morecambe took the top spot. The micropub, which opened in 2017, offers no food, no music, and no machines - however, a microgarden is planned.
In Yorkshire, George & Dragon in Hudswell, the 2016 national CAMRA winner, is back on the list. A two-roomed village inn, the pub is beloved for staying open all day on bank holidays.
The 16 winners will be narrowed down to four super-regional finalists before a final winner is announced in early 2019.
Of the 16 finalists, National Pub of the Year coordinator Andrea Briers said: “It is a huge honour to be selected as one of the top 16 pubs in the country, as well as being featured in the Good Beer Guide. A great deal of time and effort goes into deciding which pub from each region should go forward into the next round.
“The competition really gets difficult now as these pubs will compete against one another to be named one of the top four in the country. Last year’s national winner, the Cricketers Arms in St Helens, enjoyed a huge boost in its popularity from visitors near and far, and all of the competing pubs will hope to secure national recognition from the competition.”
CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2019 is available now and can be purchased here.
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