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Press Release

14/09/2017

CAMRA congratulates the “famous five” pubs

As CAMRA unveils the 45th edition of the Good Beer Guide it congratulates the five pubs that have made every single edition, demonstrating a consistent high standard of quality beers served in a fantastic setting.

The pubs include the Star Tavern and the Buckingham Arms in London, the Roscoe Head in Liverpool, the Square & Compass in Dorset and the Queen’s Head in Cambridge. Each pub will receive an award from Editor Roger Protz and the local nominating CAMRA branch.

To be listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide is a fantastic achievement for a pub. The Guide is based entirely on personal recommendations made by local CAMRA members, which are rigorously reviewed by branches and editors.

Recommendations take into account beer quality as well as the history and architecture of a pub and various aspects such as food, gardens, family and disabled facilities and special events. CAMRA does not take any fees for listings to ensure the guide remains independent and unbiased.

Roger Protz, who will be stepping down as Editor of the Good Beer Guide after 24 years says: “Congratulations to the famous five, who will go down in history for being hallmarks of the Good Beer Guide. It is a great honour to be listed in the Guide even just once – never mind 45 times. I look forward to visiting each of the pubs to offer my personal congratulations in the coming days and weeks.”

The famous five will be award at events open to the public. More information on each of the pubs can be found below.

Star Tavern, Belgravia

6 Belgrave Mews West, SW1X 8HT

Presentation event: 14th September at 3pm 

Down a mews, near embassies and rich in the history of the powerful and famous, it is rumoured that the Great Train Robbery was planned here. Now it is a popular Fuller’s pub where local residents, business people and embassy staff rub shoulders with casual visitors. Sometimes a special Fuller’s beer can be found. Upstairs is a dining room, also bookable for functions.

The Buckingham Arms

62 Petty France, SW1H 9EU

Presentation event: 18th September at 3pm

Said to have once been a hat shop, this pub opened in the 1720s as the Bell, was renamed the Black Horse in the 1740s, rebuilt in 1898 and renamed again in 1901. Substantially renovated in recent years, it has appeared in every edition of the Guide. A mix of modern and traditional seats and tables, high and low, draws civil servants, visitors and the occasional Member of Parliament.

The Roscoe Head, Liverpool

24 Roscoe St, L1 2SX

Presentation event: 19th September at 4pm

This is a cosy four-roomed hostelry where conversation and the appreciation of real ale rule. Run by members of the same family for over 30 years, the name commemorates William Roscoe, a leading campaigner against the slave trade. Six handpumps feature national and local breweries. Home-cooked food is served Monday to Friday lunchtimes. Since its sale in 2015 there is concern over the future of the pub, with an active Save the Roscoe Head campaign.

The Square & Compass, Dorset

Weston Road, Worth Matravers, BH19 3LF

Presentation event: tbc

On CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, this multi award-winning gem has been in the same family since 1907. Two rooms either side of a serving hatch convey an impression that little has changed since then. The sea-facing garden offers fantastic views across the Purbecks and fossils are displayed in the small adjacent museum. Two of the beers are from Hattie Brown’s. Beer and cider festivals are held in October and November respectively. In winter the pub closes in the afternoon.

The Queen’s Head, Cambs

Newton, CB22 7PG

Presentation event: 9th October at 7:30 pm

The list of landlords since 1729 which is displayed on the wall in the simply furnished public bar has just 18 entries. The cosy lounge has a welcoming fire in the colder months. Guest beers are often Adnams seasonals. Simple but excellent food centres on soup and sandwiches. The King and German Kaiser are reputed to have stopped here for a pint in the early 1900s.

The Good Beer Guide is now on sale and available to purchase for £12.99 at https://shop.camra.org.uk/goodbeerguide2018.html

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