Popular Withington Pub Crowned Camra Pub Of The Year Following Years Of Ale Excellence

The Victoria in Withington has officially claimed the title of Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester, by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). After missing out on the top spot last year, the Hydes-owned Wilmslow Road establishment emerged as this year’s clear winner by a considerable margin.

Husband-and-wife management team Alyson and Paul Mitchell have led the popular pub for 14 years. Under their management, the Victoria has become a standard bearer for hospitality and a permanent fixture in the national Good Beer Guide. The pub, which has been part of Hydes pub estate since 1905, typically serves four or five Hydes cask beers, which CAMRA representatives described as being on “excellent form”.

The Victoria is celebrated for its diverse appeal, successfully welcoming a demographic ranging from university freshers to 90-year-old pensioners. This community focus is evidenced by the pub’s extensive charitable work, notably its long-standing support for the Mero’s World Foundation. The charity was established by local mother, Kelly Brown, in memory of her son Rhamero West, who was tragically stabbed to death in Manchester in 2021 at the age of 16. The foundation aims to combat knife crime and support youth in the community through various initiatives.

The pub has raised significant funds for the foundation through New Year’s Eve ticket sales, raffles, and athletic challenges, including Paul Mitchell’s marathons and upcoming fundraisers, including a customer-led sponsored bike ride and a swim in a local pool, covering the same distance as the English Channel.

These efforts have helped the foundation deliver one of its most notable projects, the installation of emergency bleed safety cabinets throughout Greater Manchester. The cabinets contain essential equipment for managing severe bleeding in emergencies, potentially saving lives before emergency services arrive. A knife-wound safety kit is now installed on the pub’s exterior. The bleed kit has already been credited with saving a life during an emergency close to the premises last year.

And earlier this year, Victoria customers raised £1,000 to enable Withington Civic Society to install a much-needed community defibrillator outside the premises.

Alyson Mitchell, manager of The Victoria, said: “We are so proud to win this award and it is a real honour to be named the best pub in the region by CAMRA. We love what we do, but we couldn’t do it without our amazing team and the incredible support and top-quality ales we receive from Hydes. The Victoria is a truly special place for us and we genuinely have the best customers you could ask for, from students to our local regulars. Winning this year after coming so close previously proves that our collective hard work has really paid off.”

Adam Mayers, managing director of Hydes, stated: “We are delighted the Victoria has been recognised with this award. It’s a real testament to the passion and dedication of the whole team. The Victoria is a much-loved pub at the heart of its community, and this recognition reflects the brilliant job the team does every day to create a welcoming and memorable experience. We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve created and recognition by CAMRA is richly deserved.”

Jim Flynn, Treasurer of CAMRA Stockport and South Manchester, added: “The Victoria is recognised as an extremely friendly pub where exemplary customer care and community relations seem to be in its very DNA. Most importantly for us, it sells really excellent beer; I personally had my best pint of 2025 in the pub last April.”

The official award presentation took place at the Victoria on 30 April. Hydes’ operations manager, Luke Tanker, was also in attendance for the celebration, which drew a large crowd from across the local community and the wider area.