NEWS

CAMRA has named the top four pubs battling it out for Pub of the Year 2026 2026 Pub of the Year final four. L-R: Cockpit (Chislehurst), Turks Head (St Helens), Tamworth Tap, Countryman's Inn (Hunton, North Yorks). Images should be credited to the individual pubs. Pubs from Merseyside, North Yorkshire, Tamworth and London have been named the cream of the crop in the race to be CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year 2026. The Turks Head, St Helens, Countryman’s Inn, Hunton, Cockpit,

Even experienced licensees can use an extra helping hand from time to time, and for the current tenants at the brewer’s 300-year-old Anchor pub in Faversham, that came in the form of Shepherd Neame’s Partnership Tenancy Agreement. Paige Stubbington and Mark Revell have been running the 18th century inn in Abbey Street for three years - and also ran three pubs between them before that - but when they were approached to switch from a standard tenancy to a partnership, they jump

An innovative ticketless approach to pub carveries in Greene King’s Farmhouse Inns and Farmhouse Kitchen is removing a familiar service bottleneck while allowing guests choosing a roast and those ordering from the main menu to receive their meals at the same time. The ticketless carvery is a virtual queuing system that replaces the traditional process of ordering at the bar, receiving a paper ticket and then joining a separate queue at the carvery. Instead, carvery choices ar

Market Taverns celebrates independent beer with an exclusive Sambrook’s Brew, award-wining ales and fresh discoveries across the capital. London drinkers are being invited to ditch their usual pint and discover a new favourite as independent pub company Market Taverns launches a 12-day cask ale festival across 11 London pubs celebrating the capital’s independent brewing scene. From 28 October to 8 November 2026, 59 different beers will be dropping into different pubs througho

How one of the UK’s first female beer sommeliers embodies a more diverse drinks sector Fifth annual Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards celebrate the Black and ethnic minority talent shaping the future of UK hospitality London, 13 October 2026: Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) has announced the winners of its BIH Spotlight Awards 2026, showcasing the exceptional people and businesses making a stir in the UK’s hospitality sector. Among this year’s winners is Birmingham’s M

Fifth annual Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards celebrate the Black and ethnic minority talent shaping the future of UK hospitality London, 13 October 2026: Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) has announced the winners of its BIH Spotlight Awards 2026, showcasing the exceptional people and businesses making a stir in the UK’s hospitality sector. Among the winners are: A double-gong for Nathaniel Mortley (NattyCanCook) - one of the most powerful redemption stories in hospita

Independent family brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed up with the licensee of its Whitstable pub, The Old Neptune, to support a local yacht competing in an international race. The Sailing Yacht Cormorant will take part in the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts in Malta on Saturday (October 17), becoming the first yacht from Whitstable to take part in the prestigious event. Sponsored jointly by Shepherd Neame and The Old Neptune’s licensee Darren Wilton, the yacht will be

585 JOBS AND MORE THAN £6 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE LOST SO FAR THIS YEAR Analysis by the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) and shown that 62 Scottish pubs closed during the first nine months of 2026, costing an estimated 585 jobs, including 330 held by under-25s, and more than £6 million in tax revenue. The SBPA is urging both the UK and Scottish Governments to use upcoming Budgets to back pubs and prevent further closures. The SBPA said the figures highlight the intense c

Approximately 360 pubs could call last orders by the end of the year, after 295 pubs permanently shut in the first nine months of 2026 Closures will equate to around 5,000 jobs losses, including over 2,500 for under-25s The BBPA says that the high tax burden and cost of regulation is at the heart of many pub closures and called on Government to “tackle the root of the problem” Trade body calls on Government to build on their valued support by using the Budget to permanently r

Morrisons is to stock Wonderwall lager in its supermarkets nationwide from this week (w/c October 12) on an exclusive basis for 2026. Sold in packs of 4x440ml cans with an RSP of £5, the 4% lager will have a prominent position on trade tables at the front of Morrisons stores. The deal with Morrisons marks the biggest listing yet for Wonderwall lager, which is brewed for brand owner Sunlit Minds by Freedom Brewery. Crisp, clean and sessionable, it has a light straw colour and

With a record-breaking year-to-date leaving Budweiser Budvar UK in the strongest position it has been in since first launching in the UK in 2005, the Czech national brewer has announced the appointment of Rich Sanna as its new Managing Director. Moving from the position of Commercial Director and representing a natural continuation for the business, Sanna joined Budweiser Budvar UK in 2019 and has been working closely with Jitka Vlčková, under whose six-year leadership the br

Great American Beer Festival ® Competition Winners Announced Denver, Colo. • October 11, 2026— The Brewers Association (BA) announced the beers and ciders taking home medals at this year's Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition. New this year, the competition added categories including rice lager, hop water, and a one-time craft malt category, along with two new specialty beer subcategories and three new standalone gluten-free style categories. A total of 243 brewer

Left: photo of a young CAMRA Chairman, Ash Corbett-Collins at Marston's brewery; right: photo of Ash Corbett-Collins in Westminster CAMRA reacts angrily to latest move from global brewer CAMRA has reacted with anger to the news that Carlsberg intends to close its Burton brewing site in 2027. The consumer giants have renewed demands for the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate how global interests have consolidated the UK beer market and are supportive of Carlsberg

Pubs, bars and taprooms across the UK will be pouring pints at Germany’s lower tax rates tomorrow (Friday 9 October) as part of the Drop the Pint Day to highlight the potential benefits of a lower tax on pub beer ahead of the Budget later this month. The UK has one of the highest rates of tax on pub pints in Europe which is ten times as high as in Germany. Independent research revealed today finds that if the UK had a similar tax level as Germany it could create over 16,000 n

The BII is delighted to announce the finalists for this year’s National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs). The training, development and care of teams is central to the success of our sector, and the NITAs recognise those individuals and companies who go above and beyond in this space. All of the finalists can be seen below or on the BII website – we can’t wait to meet all of them later this month, as our judges dig deeper into their submissions and find this year’s winne

Historic England Conservation 2026 winner, The Woodman in Birmingham, James O. Davies Pub Design Awards are back for 2027! Pubs across the UK are being urged to enter CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards. This coveted award not only celebrates the UK’s most picturesque hostelries, but seeks out hidden gems where people have converted a building into a pub. One of 2026’s winners was St Peter’s Tavern in Liverpool, set inside a stunning 1788 church, while converted high street shops provi

This Halloween sees the return of Haunted Highlander (3.4% ABV) – a ruby rye ale from Belhaven Brewery, Scotland’s oldest brewery. Available throughout October, Haunted Highlander is a full-bodied ale brewed with the finest rye, delivering a rich flavour, making it perfect for autumn nights. Haunted Highlander celebrates Belhaven’s proud brewing heritage, which spans more than 300 years, and is inspired by Scotland’s supernatural folklore and the atmospheric Highlands. Haunte

The fight for the pint and the nation by Sivamohan Valluvan and Amit Singh Publisher: Manchester University Press Publishing Date: October 2026 Price: £18.99 Pages: 264 (Hardback) ISBN: 9781526194541 A heartfelt case for why the English pub still matters and how we can save it. In Pubs for the people, Amit Singh and Sivamohan Valluvan offer a daring defence of the humble public house, waging battle against those who see the pub only as a poignant symbol of a bygone England. M

Admiral Taverns, the UK’s leading community pub company is pleased to announce the acquisition of community pub operator Mountain Pub Company from specialist investment manager, Downing. Led by Helen Standing, Mountain Pubs operates a portfolio of 10 high quality, wet-led, operator manged community pubs, which sit at the heart of several local communities across the North of England. Pubs include The Southport Coaster (Southport) and The White Hart (Todmorden). Upon completio

Bedford, 7th October 2026: Wells & Co. has appointed hospitality industry leader Gavin George as a Non-Executive Director, further strengthening the Board as the family-owned pub and brewing business continues to focus on long-term growth and delivering exceptional guest experiences. Gavin brings more than 30 years of hospitality leadership experience, having co-founded and led the Laine Pub & Brewing Company, building the business to more than 60 sites across Brighton, Londo