The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has named the Firs Club in Codsall, Staffordshire as the winner of its Club of the Year 2024 competition.
The club was crowned champion above three other finalists to be named the best in the UK.
After being named West Midlands Regional Club of the Year three years in a row, this is the first time the Firs Club has won the top award in the Club of the Year competition.
The multi-award-winning social club is a must visit for cask beer fans, with an onsite microbrewery opened in 2017 which features in its November festival - a real highlight in the local beer calendar. Firs Brewery has been featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and produces a core range of ales, including some exclusives for the club. As well as Firs beers, the bar offers five locally sourced ever-changing cask beers, usually including one mild.
In the comfortably furbished club, guests can enjoy a pint in the bar area, relax in the quiet lounge, play pool and darts in the separate sports lounge or play snooker upstairs. The club prides itself on being the “number one place in Codsall to watch football”, and in the warm weather hosts live football outside on the large decking area.
The Firs Club hosts plenty of events for the local community and provides a welcoming space for private events including weddings, parties and functions as a meeting space for local groups.
Club of the Year Coordinator Phil Gregg said: “The 2024 Club of the Year competition was extremely close fought. Each of our finalists were of an extremely high standard, and it made the judging harder than ever! We’re delighted to be announcing a first-time winner, and the Firs Club epitomises what’s great about UK venues like these, and how important they are to their local communities.”
Firs Club Manager Anna Reynolds said: “Well what can I say, it's a great surprise and honour to win CAMRA’s Club of the Year award, it's something we thought was out of our reach. We couldn't have done it without the support of our club members, committee, CAMRA members and of course the staff who work hard to make the club a great place to visit and hopefully stay for a while.”
Shelly Bentley, West Midlands Regional Director for CAMRA, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the Firs Club. Anna and the team work incredibly hard to create a communal atmosphere and provide a stellar line up of beers for locals to enjoy. I hope this is the first of many successes for the club and its community. 2024 has been a fantastic year for the West Midlands, this award for the Firs Club is truly deserved and comes just a couple of weeks after the Bailey Head in Oswestry was named Pub of the Year 2024.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
The Firs Club will be presented with the Club of the Year award on Saturday 1 February at 1pm. If you would like to attend, please contact press@camra.org.uk
Photos of the Firs Club and CAMRA spokespeople are here.
Firs Club contact details:
(01902) 844674
thefirsclubcodsall@gmail.com
Station Road, Codsall, WV8 1BX
The other Club of the Year 2024 finalists are:
Haydock Reading Room, St Helens
The Haydock Reading Room has provided a warm and welcoming place for all who like a well-maintained pint with good company since 1884. Three cask beers are available with at least one from a local brewery. The club hosts live music and other events for the community over weekends.
Kettering Midland Band Social Club, Kettering
A popular club tucked away close to Rockingham Road Pleasure Park. The Midland Band Club has plenty of space to accommodate guests, with a long public bar, sunken lounge area, a separate games area and a large concert room for events. Five guest beers from independent breweries are on the bar including one dark beer, with Bar Manager David Bellamy having previously won Club Mirror’s Bar Manager of the Year. The club actively strives to entertain its community with a busy social diary and regular organised trips.
Marden Village Club, Marden
This Grade II listed community hub won the overall Club of the Year title in both 2022 and 2023. The Marden Village Club boasts of six cask beers at the bar, generally from local microbreweries and with one dark beer always available. Snooker and darts teams are very popular, along with regular bingo nights.
CAMRA campaigns to protect and promote clubs, as well as pubs, which are important community assets that promote the social wellbeing of their local area. The Club of the Year competition is run in conjunction with Club Mirror magazine and is the highest honour the campaigning organisation can award a social club.
All of the clubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix and most importantly – quality of beer.
