Photo by Mike Hall
The Pelican Inn, Gloucester, has been named by CAMRA as one of the four best pubs in the UK. The race to take home the crown for National Pub of the Year 2025 is now on.
The competition to be CAMRA’s cream of the crop in the prestigious National Pub of the Year 2025 competition is hotting up with the Pelican Inn soaring into the final.
After months of rigorous judging, just four pubs remain in the competition. They will now battle it out to claim the National Pub of the Year title, the Campaign’s biggest award and one of the highest accolades a UK pub can win.
The Pelican Inn in Gloucester was taken over by Wye Valley brewery in 2012, with landlord Mike Hall overseeing its evolution into a thriving pub.
Dating back to 1679, this Grade-II listed pub, in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral, is a winner with cyclists, cathedral visitors and local rugby fans alike. With up to ten cask beers, twelve ciders and six craft kegs on at all times, plus a collection of rarer beer styles in can, there is something for all to enjoy at the family-run, traditional ale house.
The multi-award-winning pub hosts regular beer festivals and welcomes countless community groups, with many coming to sample the Pelican’s famous, locally sourced pickled eggs, and cheese and onion rolls. It is no stranger to CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, featuring in its pages for more than a decade, a testament to its consistent quality.
All the super regional finalists have proved to be exceptional. The final round of judging is now underway with the winner set to be revealed at the start of 2026.
Beating thousands of entries and showcasing their commitment to quality and their communities, they have been judged on their atmosphere, décor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression and, most importantly, quality cask beer, real cider and perry.
With the announcement of the finalists only a few weeks ahead of the UK Government’s Budget, it is a stark reminder of the challenges pubs are facing. CAMRA is calling for pubs to be given specific support as they continue to face their toughest year yet. High costs, heavy tax burdens and punishing business rates are all impacting on pubs and their survival.
Mike Hall, licensee of the Pelican, said:
"Never did I dare hope that the Pelican Inn would be recognised as one of the top four pubs in the country. It’s been a joyous journey for me and my family, building the pub up from a poor trading position. The plan from day one was to make it a relevant part of the community and a beacon for real ale fans to find. The fact that it’s evolved into something so far beyond our own ambitions is the warmest of feelings.
"Our greatest strength is the support offered to us by Wye Valley Brewery, we showcase all of their beers but with a flexibility to offer a broader choice of beers than their portfolio alone. It’s a simple, traditional public house with a clear vision and fabulous, fabulous beer. This honour will stay with me always."
Brett Laniosh, CAMRA’s West Central Regional Director, said:
“Congratulations to Mike and the team at the Pelican on this outstanding achievement. The newly formed Mid-Gloucestershire CAMRA branch, together with the new West Central Region, are delighted to see this much-loved community pub recognised as one of the top four in the UK. Visitors to Gloucester can be assured of a warm welcome, along with an excellent choice of beer and cider at the Pelican.”
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Notes to editors
Download photos of the four finalists and CAMRA spokespeople here.
Joining the Pelican Inn in the final four pubs are:
Blackfriars Tavern, Great Yarmouth: Awarded CAMRA’s UK Cider and Perry Pub of the Year just weeks ago, this Victorian corner pub, next to the 13th century town walls, has made its mark as a must visit destination. Described as a real gem, the pub focusses on East Anglian produced cask, plus real ciders and perries, with its bar regularly showcasing CAMRA award winning brews and even beers from the on-site brewery.
Tamworth Tap, Tamworth: Twice winner of the National Pub of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, the Tudor building and historic courtyard beer terrace offers striking views of Tamworth’s Norman Castle. Home to Tamworth Brewing Company and its tap, it features eight handpulls, with cask from near and far, along with a wide range of ciders, gins, wines and bottled beers. The ‘CAMRA corner’ at the bottom of the stairs is always popular, along with its display of a complete set of Good Beer Guides.
Volunteer Arms (Staggs), Musselburgh: A superb pub run by the same family since 1858 with a traditional bar and snug, wooden floors, wood panelling and mirrors from now closed local breweries. The pub’s interior is of historic interest with an attractive Victorian era gantry topped with old spirit cask barrels. It has a range of regularly changing cask beers and has won many awards, including CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year in 1998 and reached the top four in 2018.
All the national and regional Pub of the Year winners can be found here.
The pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, décor, welcome, service, value, customer mix and most importantly quality of beer.
The overall winner will be announced in January 2026.
The four finalists will be presented with their awards at local events over the coming weeks.
