Final four clubs revealed

WB Reporter 6 hours ago

Audio Description

The Club of the Year competition is heating up as CAMRA unveils the top four social clubs in the UK. Run in conjunction with Club Mirror, the award recognises clubs offering a fantastic atmosphere, welcoming surroundings and most importantly, top-quality cask beer.

The finalists will now battle it out to claim CAMRA’s overall Club of the Year title with the winner announced in early 2026.

The four finalists are:

Appleton Thorn Village Hall, Cheshire

Previously a school, the building dates back to the 1880s and was converted into a club in 1978 when a group of villagers voiced a need for a central meeting place. It is now the heart of the Appleton community. The club has won overall Club of the Year four times and boasts a wide range of cask beers from independent brewers, plus real ciders and perries.

Billingham Catholic Club, County Durham

The club is renowned for hosting weekly band nights and supporting the local live music scene. Featuring in the Good Beer Guide for almost 20 years, the club has gained a reputation for its ever-changing cask beer line-up, serving 150 beers annually. The club stages regular beer festivals throughout the year, in particular the annual garden party in August, which raises money for local charities.

Orpington Liberal Club, London

Run by a committee of cask beer enthusiasts, the club has a particular focus on local brewers and micros, with up to five cask beers available, including a stout or porter and a changing range of real ciders and perries. Live music is a key element of the club, hosting the Orpington Jazz Club. The club runs beer festivals twice per year and frequent "Meet the Brewer" evenings.

Cheltenham Motor Club, Gloucestershire

Formed in 1906, this friendly and welcoming club has won the overall Club of the Year three times. The bar is decorated with motoring paraphernalia and has six cask beers on tap and at least one cider plus a range of bottled Belgian beers. The club hosts darts and pool teams plus an annual beer festival, along with regular meet-the-brewer and takeover evenings.

CAMRA Club of the Year co-ordinator Phil Gregg said: “Clubs are important social hubs for communities across the UK. These fantastic finalists sum up everything that is great about the club scene: Friendly and inclusive spaces with top-quality cask beer, real cider and perry. I do not envy those judging the overall winner, as the quality of candidates for the Club of the Year competition seems to get better each and every year! I encourage everyone to visit our top four clubs to experience them for yourself or support your local club.”

National and regional winners:

East Anglia

Carleton Rode Social Club, Norfolk

East Central

Kettering Midland Band Social Club, Northamptonshire

East Midlands

Parwich Royal British Legion Club, Derbyshire

Greater London

Orpington Liberal Club, Bromley

Merseyside and Cheshire

Appleton Thorn Village Hall, Cheshire

North East