Cracking Clubs! CAMRA Announces Top Four Social Clubs In The UK

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 served in great condition.

The four finalists will now battle it out to claim CAMRA’s overall Club of the Year title, the highest honour the campaign organisation can present to a club.

The four finalists are:

• Appleton Thorn Village Hall, Cheshire-Previously an old 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 in the village. 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 lineup, serving 150 different 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 microbreweries, 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 local darts and pool teams plus an annual beer festival, along with regular “Meet the Brewer” and takeover evenings.

The top four were announced Wednesday 26 November at Club Mirror’s Club Awards at the Athena in Leicester. The overall winner will be announced in early 2026.

Phil Gregg, CAMRA Club of the Year Co-ordinator 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.”