CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide (GBG) – the UK’s best-selling beer and pub guide – is celebrating its 51st edition with a striking cover and a foreword supplied by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson. 

Dickinson’s foreword shines a spotlight on the cultural tradition of pubs within the United Kingdom, the importance of protecting the heritage, charm and welcoming nature of locals and clubs, and not taking them for granted.

The guide, which surveys 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive reference for those seeking the best beer in the nation’s pubs and helps readers take a barometer reading of the local beer scene. This year’s tells the story of an industry under threat as, although it records 82 new breweries, 142 have closed. This net loss of 60 producers is a worrying reminder that a lack of support from the government means dire consequences for companies in the wake of a cost-of-business crisis and the constant pressure of energy bills.

This year’s guide contains 910 new or returning listings, a boost for a pub trade which has been struggling to stay afloat in recent years following the pandemic and rising costs. The trade also faces an impending threat from unlawful demolitions, which CAMRA has declared a national scandal in the wake of the demolition of the Crooked House in Himley.

Speaking at the GBG launch at the Signature brewery in Blackhorse Road, East London, CAMRA national director Ben Wilkinson said: “The recent, disgraceful events surrounding the Crooked House in the West Midlands captured the nation’s attention, but while that particular scandal made the national news, so many similar cases fly under the radar.

“CAMRA is responding on two fronts. Our Pub Heritage Group is leading the way in safeguarding historic pubs, and fighting for them to be given the protection they deserve as part of our cultural heritage. But elsewhere, we’re working to expose the weaknesses in the planning system that affect all pubs. We want to see councils in England get the enforcement powers they need to tackle any illegal conversions or demolitions of pubs – including the power to order them to be rebuilt brick by brick if necessary.”

CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona said: “We’re honoured to have Bruce Dickinson pen the foreword for the Good Beer Guide 2024. As we enter our second half century of producing the guide, there is no one better to introduce this year’s edition, and highlight what makes these institutions so worth visiting.

“The last few years have been an incredibly difficult time for the industry and we need more support than ever before to keep our nation’s pubs and breweries open and thriving. I’d encourage everyone to use this year’s guide to visit the very best pubs and breweries across the UK and support them for generations to come.”

To order the guide visit https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2024/