Saved Pub Gets North London Accolade: Wenlock Arms Wins Pub of the Year 2026

The Wenlock Arms in Hoxton has won North London CAMRA's Pub of the Year for 2026, nine years after its previous win in 2017.

John Cryne, from CAMRA's North London Branch, said: "This is a classic story of rags to riches then back to rags and finally riches. The pub reopened as a free house in 1994 by Steve Barnes and Will Williams and became a beacon for good beer at a time when real ale was not in abundance. Then property developers took an interest and in 2010 a three year fight began to keep it as a pub. It finally re-opened in 2013 and gradually re-built its reputation for good beer and a warm welcome winning North London's Pub of the Year in 2017 and now the pub has done it for a second time under its current ownership. This adds to the four awards under the previous ownership."

John added: "The Wenlock Arms now has an impressive array of 10 handpumps selling real ale and real cider and, of course, it is only in pubs that you can drink real ale. There are few pubs in our branch area that can boast winning our Pub of the Year as many times as the Wenlock Arms. The winner is chosen by an online vote by CAMRA members. One respondent said: ‘Harking back to its glorious late 90s/early 00s days as the finest cask ale joint in London (when competition was much slighter), the Wenlock Arms is once again firing on all cylinders (and all lines) as the benchmark in how to keep and serve cask, at the same time creating an inclusive, lively and convivial place to gather.’ This comment is a tribute to all the hard work the team at the Wenlock has put in."

Samson Armett-Roughley, Wenlock's Cellar Manager, said: "With these many ale taps, the ongoing pressures to pubs and businesses means the odds are against us. So it's an honour to win this award and help keep real ale alive."

The pub was initially the brewery tap for the nearby Wenlock Brewery until it closed in 1962 (hence the pub's name). It has ten handpumps and a selection of real ciders. It's a traditional Victorian corner pub, built in 1835, with a ‘U’ shaped bar, dart board and a piano in the back seating area. Such is its classic character that it has been used for filming, including Simon Pegg's ‘The World's End’.

Beyond beer, the pub offers a simple snack menu of toasties, Piemaster pies, baked Camembert and tuna melts.

The Award was presented to the pub on Tuesday 7th April. The photo shows Esther Harper (General Manager), Samson Armett-Roughley (Cellar Manager) and John Cryne (North London CAMRA representative).

Extra Facts

• CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale, a volunteer membership organisation with over 200 volunteer branches across the UK and over 140,000 members. CAMRA was formed in 1971 and exists to promote good beer, protect pubs and defend consumer rights.

• The Wenlock Arms is part of CAMRA's LocAle scheme, which promotes pubs stocking local beers. The pub prides itself on having well-trained staff who know about the beers.

• The pub is a 10 minute walk from Old Street and just a few minutes from Regent's Canal.

• Address: 26 Wenlock Road, Hoxton, N1 7TA. Opening times: Mon 3pm–11pm; Tue & Wed 12pm–11pm; Thurs 12pm–12am; Fri & Sat 12pm–1am.

• The Wenlock Arms is part of a small group of four pubs leased by Heath Ball, two of which are in Highgate: Red Lion & Sun and the Angel Inn.

• More details: www.wenlockarms.com

For more information:

John Cryne, CAMRA North London

Email: john.cryne2@googlemail.com | Tel: 07802 174861

The Wenlock Arms: beer@wenlockarms.com | Samson@wenlockarms.com | Tel: 020 7608 3406

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.