Welcome to West London CAMRA! This site is dedicated to topics of interest to Banch members. We are pleased to announce our Branch Pub of the Year (POTY) and we are still trying to get more MPs into our pubs. We are also looking to appoint a new Branch Pub Records Officer.
Once again, for the fourth time in six years (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012), it is our pleasure to announce that the Harp, Chandos Place, Covent Garden, is our Branch Pub of the Year. The last time The Harp was eligible for this award, it went on to win the competition for CAMRA National Pub of the Year. This was the first time ever that a London pub had captured the coveted plaque.
First Runner-up was the Cleveland Arms, Chilworth Street, Paddington. This friendly neighbourhood local is a perennial occupant of the top three pubs in the branch.
This year, there was a tie for Second Runner-up, with the White Horse at Parsons Green and the Uxbridge Arms in Notting Hill Gate tied for third place.
This is a tough competition. There were ten pubs on the shortlist and the winners were chosen by a public vote that was open to all branch members. Please join us in congratulating the licensees and watch the Branch Diary for announcements of the award celebrations and presentations in each pub.
The All Party Parliamentary Parliamentary Beer Group are running an awards scheme for outstanding pubs. The award can be for serving really great beer, service to the community or for being a general all round good pub. The idea is to ask the local MP to present a award certificate during the Month of April 2012, which is Community Pubs Month. If you know of a pub that you think is worthy of an award, please contact Paul Charlton, Branch Secretary and Contact.
West London CAMRA is excited to announce that in the year of the organisation’s 40th anniversary, The Harp, Covent Garden, is the first London pub to win its National Pub of the Year competition. CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year accolade recognises all the criteria that make a great pub, including atmosphere, decor, customer service, value for money, clientele mix, and most importantly, the quality of the beer.
Owned by celebrated real ale pioneer Bridget Walsh, the pub is a true gem situated only a few yards from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, serving 8 real ales and a wide selection of real ciders and perries at any one time. The Harp is revered for its high standards, with judges most impressed by the pub’s outstanding commitment and energy towards promoting Britain’s national drink.
Kimberly Martin, CAMRA’s London Regional Director, said:
‘I never cease to be impressed or surprised by the continuing success of a pub staffed by individuals so passionate about the real ale industry. The Harp is a perfect example of how the London cask beer scene is reaching out to new drinkers.’
Bridget Walsh first took on The Harp as a tenanted pub in 1995 (buying the pub outright in 2009) and went about transforming it into a pub dedicated to real ale, real cider and real sausages. With more than 40 years experience in the beer and pub industry, Bridget has been winning CAMRA awards for her cellarmanship skills since the 1970’s, but recent successes in CAMRA’s West London Pub of the Year (2006, 2008, 2010) and London Regional Pub of the Year (2010) have heralded national acclaim.
On hearing news of her success, Bridget Walsh said:
‘This news came as a complete shock but of course we are delighted to be named CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year. We pride ourselves on the range and quality of our real ale and to be London’s first ever National Pub of the Year is a real honour. I would like to thank my locals, CAMRA members and particularly my brilliant staff, who made this a real team effort.’
Julian Hough, CAMRA Pubs Director, concluded:
‘The most impressive aspect of The Harp is that it retains its appeal as a true local, even though situated in the tourist heart of the capital. What makes a great pub is the ability for it to welcome both regulars and first time customers alike and this is something it does to perfection.’
CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition is judged by CAMRA’s 120,000 members. Each CAMRA branch votes for their favourite pub. The branch winners are entered into 16 regional competitions, with the 16 winners then battling it out to reach the final stages of the National competition.
London was once known as the capital of the world for beer with the exporting of its famous brews all around the globe. Today, although there are fewer breweries, London has recently seen a growth in the number of its small brewers, which is being embraced wholeheartedly by Londoners. But of course, London's reputation for fine pubs has always been there with some of the best in the UK to be found here; many have been places where history has been made.
CAMRA’s London branches are coordinating a campaign to showcase what we have on offer. The objective is to raise the profile of British beer and pubs during the summerstarting in July, featuring the Ealing Beer Festival and including the Great British Beer Festival in August at Olympia. See the City of Beer website for lots of pub events and brewery open days and evenings across the Capital to create one great month of celebration - so why not join in for the occasion of a lifetime.
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