CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has today launched its first ever national online pub guide – whatpub.com – dedicated to helping the public find the best pubs to suit their needs across Britain.
Following an extensive two year project by thousands of CAMRA volunteers, whatpub.com features 47,000 pubs, around 36,000 of which serve real ale – making the site the most definitive online guide to real ale in the UK.
Whatpub.com, which has been designed to automatically optimise for use on laptops, tablets and mobile devices, offers over thirty different search fields ranging from dog friendly pubs to those that offer newspapers or live music, making the results customizable to each person’s individual preferences. Another key feature is that of the 35,800 real ale pubs featured, around 22,000 have details of the real ales being served – taking the guess work out of a visit for real ale lovers.
Andy Shaw, CAMRA Director said “CAMRA has developed WhatPub to be the ultimate online pub guide for all pub-goers. It may even help encourage people who have stopped using pubs regularly, since WhatPub will help them find the ideal pub to suit their needs.”
WhatPub entries are written by local CAMRA members and then approved by dedicated branch volunteers. A full entry offers a description and pictures of the pub, the address, opening hours, who owns it, lists the regular real ales they stock, states whether the pub offers Guest Beers, highlights the pubs main features e.g. availability of food, gives a map of where the pub can be located, sat nav reference, OS reference and highlights the local transport available
WhatPub also allows CAMRA members to score the quality of the real ales served in the pub which helps CAMRA select entries for a number of local and national publications.
Mr Shaw commented on the entries, “WhatPub differs from many other pub websites which are based on details provided by the person who owns the pub, who may be a little biased! I would like to thank the thousands of CAMRA volunteers for their time and effort in submitting these entries. It is this process that makes WhatPub totally independent.”
Mr Shaw concluded, “WhatPub has plenty more future planned developments but we are very proud of the website launched today and CAMRA hopes everybody will enjoy using it.”
Some examples of pubs featured on whatpub.com:
Nutshell, Bury St Edmunds (Smallest pub in the UK)
One of the claimants to the title “England’s smallest pub”, with an interior measuring only 15 by 7 feet & is listed by the Guinness Book of Records. Main drinking area is crowded if more than 6 people are in the bar at any time. The record for the number of people crammed into the pub is said to be 102 (plus a dog called Blob). Contains various curios including a mummified cat & old halberd. Function room upstairs. The building dates from the mid-19th century.
The Baltasound Hotel, Shetland (Most Northerly pub in the UK)
The capital of Shetland, Lerwick, is 70 miles and two ferry rides away from the most northerly hotel in Britain with 25 guest rooms. At midsummer an almost perpetual daylight exists, known locally as ‘Simmer Dim’. The Keen of Hamar nature reserve, home to some unique local species of flora, is within walking distance. Three regular real ales are served.
The Baum, Rochdale (CAMRA National Pub of The Year 2013)
A hidden gem within a conservation area, the Baum occupies part of the same building as the Pioneer Museum on an isolated part of Toad Lane, just south of the By-Pass (St Mary’s Gate). A split level inn with old world charm, the conservatory at the rear overlooks a large beer garden. Friendly staff serve ever changing real ales from 8 hand pulls – one dedicated to Cider, a large choice of worldwide bottled beers and continental lagers on draught. Good, reasonably priced fresh food served daily until 9.00pm (6.00pm Sunday). Outside is a covered smoking area. CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2009 and National Pub of the Year 2013.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham (Reputedly the oldest pub in the UK)
This famous historic pub is hewn out of the rock on which Nottingham castle stands. Previously known as the Pilgrim, no one knows for sure how long an Inn has stood on this site. There are 4 bars and sitting rooms downstairs and two further rooms upstairs. One of these, the Rock Lounge, has a case containing the infamous Cursed Galleon; a number of people are reputed to have died after trying to clean it! The Museum room has a tapestry depicting the history of Nottingham. The pub can get crowded, as it is very popular with tourists. For those feeling peckish the pub serves breakfast in the morning, and a large selection of starters, main meals and desserts until 8pm. Outside, there is a courtyard and a seated pavement area. The unusual game of ‘ring the bull’ is in the front bar.
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For more information:
CAMRA Press Office: 01727 798443
Andy Shaw, CAMRA Director: 07802 485449