News and events update, 16 Mar 2026

Here's an update on the latest news and information from West London branch of CAMRA.

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Branch events

Why not join us on one of our branch socials or meetings? We'd love to see you! Here is a list of our events:

 

March 2026

• Wed 4 (2pm) Soho social, meet Coach and Horses, Old Compton St, W1D 4TQ (Shepherd Neame, NOT the nearby Fuller’s pub).
• Wed 18 (1.30pm) branch Pub of the Year presentation: Bear, 27 Spring Street, W2 1JA.
• Thu 19 (2pm) Westminster social, meet Two Chairmen, 39 Dartmouth St, SW1H 9BP.
• Tue 31 (from 5pm) Helen Wilson (manageress) leaving bash, Admiralty, 66 Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DS. Special ginger brew, buffet, band, & CAMRA special presentation.

 

April 2026

• Thu 9 (2pm) Social - meet Lyric, Great Windmill St, W1D 7LT (& Pub of the Year runner up presentation).
• Tue 21 (7pm) Evening social - meet Queens Head, Brook Green, W6 7BL, then (8.30pm) Latymers, 157 Hammersmith Road, W6 8BS

 

May 2026

• Thu 7 (2pm) Marylebone social, meet Stag's Head, New Cavendish St, W1W 6XW, then (3pm) Jackalope, 43 Weymouth Mews W1G 7EQ, (4pm) Kings Head, 13 Westmoreland Street, W1G 8PJ.
• Wed 20 (2pm) Shepherd Market social, meet Ye Grapes, 16 Shepherd Market, W1J 7QQ, then (3pm) Kings Arms, 2 Shepherd Market W1J 7QA (4pm) Market Tavern, 7 Shepherd Market W1J 7HR.
• Tue 26 (7.30/8pm) branch AGM: Antelope (upstairs) 22-24 Eaton Terrace, SW1W 8EZ

 

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Branch and regional CAMRA news and events

• Branch Pub of the Year
  
  • Thank you very much indeed to all members who voted. We had more votes this year than for many years back and, unusually, one outstanding winner. We understand that all three pubs are delighted with this branch accolade.
  • 1st Place: The Bear, 27 Spring Street, W2 1JA.
  • Joint runners-up:
    • The Lyric, 37 Great Windmill Street, W1D 7LT.
    • The Harp, 47 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HS
• London Pubs Group continues its tours of historic pubs - for information see https://londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk/events. Next event: Sat 21 Feb - tour of Smithfield & Clerkenwell: meet Viaduct Tavern 126 Newgate St, Smithfield, EC1A 7AA; (7.40pm) Hand & Shears, 1 Middle St, Cloth Fair, Smithfield, EC1A 7JA; (8.10pm) Fox & Anchor, 115 Charterhouse St, Smithfield EC1M 6AA; (8.40pm) Hope, 94 Cowcross St, Smithfield, EC1M 6BH; (9.15pm) Olde Mitre, 1 Ely Court Place, Clerkenwell EC1N 6SJ; (9.40pm) Craft Beer Co., 82 Leather Lane, Clerkenwell, EC1N 7TR.
• Our neighbouring branches have regular socials and other events - for information see the websites of East London and City, North London, South East London, Richmond and Hounslow, South West London, and West Middlesex. See the London CAMRA website for links to other Greater London branches. Here are a few examples of events offered by our neighbouring branches:
  • Tue 24 Mar (from 7pm) beer quiz, Black Dog Beer House, 17 Albany Road, Brentford, TW8 0NF. Small entry fee, contact Richmond & Hounslow branch for details.
• London Drinker is available in pubs across London and online at https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/wordpress/ with details of CAMRA and beer related events across London, pub and brewery news, and more. 

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Pub, club and other local beer events

• Sat 21 Mar (noon for 12.30pm prompt) SPBW AGM, White Horse, Parsons Green, SW6 4UL; followed by a pub tour in Holborn area. Visit the SPBW website for more information.
• Thu 14 May (3pm-10.30pm), Fri & Sat 16 May (noon-10.30pm) SPBW Woodfest, The Musical Museum, 399 High Street, Brentford, London TW8 0DU (entrance fee payable; 5 minutes walk from Kew Bridge). Visit the SPBW website for more information. 

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Pub news

• The following represent updates to CAMRA's pub database for our West London patch between 11 Jan and 8 Mar 2026.

• NW1

  • PHOENIX (Stonegate/Phoenix Hostels Ltd/independent), 6 Daventry Street, NW1 5NX. Freehold sold to BSD Phoenix NO 1 Ltd

     

• SW1

  • BAY & BRACKET (Stonegate), 17-19 Artillery Row, SW1P 1RH. Operated by Whelan's since January 2026. 

  • JUGGED HARE (Fuller's), 172 Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 1DX. Closed for refurb. Reopening Fri 13 March? 

  • SLOE BAR & CAFE (Network Rail/SSP), Victoria Main Line Station Platforms 14-15, SW1V 1JT. Closed c.2022.

     

  • TATTERSHALL CASTLE (Stonegate), King's Reach Victoria Embankment, SW1A 2HR. Cask Ale no longer available.

     

• SW3

  • CAFFE CONCERTO, 52 Kings Road, SW3 4UD. Closed, now a Mr Marvis clothes shop.

     

  • PHOENIX (Young's), 23 Smith Street, SW3 4EE. Closed for maintenance.

     

• SW6

  • GOOSE (Redcat Retail Pubs Ltd), 248 North End Road, SW6 1NL. Sold to Lombard Asset Pub Portfolio London Ltd and leased back to Redcat. 

  • SW7, COCO MOMO (Brunning & Price), 25 Gloucester Road, SW7 4PL. Sold to Urban Pubs & Bars.

     

• W1

  • BREWDOG SOHO (Prime Mega Enterprises Ltd/BrewDog/BrewDog), 21-22 Poland Street, W1F 8QG. Closed following Brewdog sale to Tilray. 

  • GAMBIT BAR, The Newman, 49 - 57 Newman Street, W1T 3EB. Underground cocktail bar in this upmarket boutique hotel. There is a full cocktail list including 'low and no' options, plus local craft beers on draught. The bar also serves a small selection of bar snacks. The usual time rules apply about serving hotel guests and non-guests but the latter are very welcome during permitted hours. Expect to pay prices reflecting the ambience. 

  • ROYAL OAK (Urban Inns), 74-76 York Street, W1H 1QN. Now Cask Marque accredited.

     

• W2

  • 146 PADDINGTON (Network Rail/Prestmade Ltd/Hilton Hotels), Hilton Hotel, 146 Praed Street, W2 1EE. Reopened. 

  • BREWDOG PADDINGTON (Canal & River Trust/BrewDog), Unit 1, West End Quay, W2 1JX. Now operated by Tilray. 

  • PRINCE EDWARD (Hall & Woodhouse), 73 Princes Square, W2 4NY. Closed, possible reopening as restaurant & wine bar.

     

• W6

  • DUKE OF HAMMERSMITH (Tavern Property Co/BrewDog/BrewDog), 238 Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7NL. Closed following Brewdog sale to Tilray. 

  • OLD CITY ARMS (Stonegate/Craft Union Pub Co), 107 Hammersmith Bridge Road, W6 9DA. The pub appears to have moved to another Stonegate format or tenant.

     

• WC2

  • CRUSTING PIPE (Davy's), 27 The Market, WC2E 8RD. Closed and reported acquired by Inception Group to trade under their Mr Fogg concept. To open summer 2026. 

  • EDGAR WALLACE (Portland Place Plc/Stonegate/Independent), 40 Essex Street, WC2R 3JE. Now LocAle accredited probably for the Southwark Bankside.

     

• W10

  • ARIADNE'S NECTAR (Wentworth Andersen/individual/independent), 274 Latimer Road, W10 6QW. To reopen as LATIMER in April. 

  • WEST LONDON BOWLING CLUB. Almost due north of the West Cross interchange on the A40 Westway and close to Kensington Memorial Park, hidden down a driveway in a residential street is this little gem of a community club. It dates from 1903 and during its long history has produced many bowls champions and won several cups. Trophies also include awards for its gardens. Nowadays the WLBC offers bowls and croquet in season and there is also a pétanque area. Other activities include such as coffee mornings, "knit and natter" sessions, community classes, and a Christmas fair. The bar has bottled ales (you need to ask) e.g. Whitstable Bay or Landlord. The Club is run by volunteers and offers various levels of membership. Rooms can be hired for events.

     

• W11

  • ARCHER STREET (unknown/The Stage Bar Group Limited/independent), 126-128 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3QG. Closed and in administration. May reopen as The Act cocktail bar at some point. 

  • STEWART ARMS (Eastway Estates), 26 Norland Road, W11 4TR. Sold on to LDS Investments Ltd. Stonegate leased back.

     

• W12

  • MOONSHOT (Westfield), Unit 1026, Southern Terrace, Westfield Shopping Centre, W12 7GA. Closed due to Sixes going into administration. 

  • SHEPHERDS BUSH CLUB, 205 Goldhawk Road, W12 8EP. This is a social meeting place with a licensed bar; activities include various social gatherings, dancing, games, and year-end events. At date of this entry the Club has about 150 members. Members elect a Board at an AGM, which in turn runs the Club for the benefit of its members.

     

• W14

  • ALBION (Heineken UK/individual/independent), 121 Hammersmith Road, W14 0QL. Cask Ale erroneously reported as unavailable. St Austell Tribute and Timothy Taylor Landlord and a guest during busy times. 

  • CROWN & SCEPTRE (Heineken UK/MLVH Ltd/independent), 34 Holland Road, W14 8BA. Cask Ale no longer available. 

  • FAMOUS 3 KINGS (BBHL/Stonegate/Stonegate), 173 North End Road, W14 9NL. Closed for conversion to tenanted. (Reopening Tue 10 March?).

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National CAMRA news

• The national CAMRA members weekend will be held at St Albans on 17-19 April, see https://camra.org.uk/members-weekend for more details. All CAMRA members are welcome to attend!
• CAMRA members can now visit CAMRA-run beer festivals for free during 2026! (Please note: there may be a requirement to purchase a glass or book in advance at some festivals - check the website for the festival you're planning to visit for details).
• More national CAMRA news and events can be found in CAMRA's online newspaper What's Brewing available at https://wb.camra.org.uk/.
• CAMRA also regularly produces a podcast 'Pubs. Pints. People' available at https://camra.org.uk/podcast/.
• The Good Beer Guide 2026 is now on sale through the CAMRA website and various other outlets. The Good Beer Guide is also available online on the new camra.org.uk/pubs website for free to members and for a subscription to non-members. To find Good Beer Guide entries after doing a search tick the Good Beer Guide filter in your search results page (under the 'Awards' heading). 
• The new CAMRA website https://camra.org.uk/ has been launched. WhatPub and the Good Beer Guide are incorporated in the new website.

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For the latest news check out our Facebook page. Also for news from CAMRA across London see London Drinker, and the London CAMRA Facebook page.

Beer scoring and the Good Beer Guide

You are more than likely aware of the ‘Good Beer Guide’, CAMRA’s flagship publication, that lists the best pubs in the UK, but what you may not know is how those pubs are selected. Mainly, it is as a result of beer scores being submitted by CAMRA members from across the country, the unfortunate reality is that those scores are mainly derived from the few branch activists that visit the pubs within their branch.

As a CAMRA member you can send in beer scores to West London or any other local CAMRA branch via the camra.org.uk/pubs website. If you have ever wondered why your favourite pub that sells really good beer, isn’t in the Good Beer Guide then this may well be because it hasn’t had enough visits rating the quality of the beer. Entering the scores doesn’t automatically get your pub into the Good Beer Guide as scoring beers is the first stage of a multi-stage process, but beer scoring on a consistent basis contributes to the process of selection of pubs that go into the Good Beer Guide.

You don’t have to be an ‘expert’ to begin scoring and the process is pretty simple. Please remember though that it is not about your personal favourite beer receiving the highest score, or that the reason that you are doing it is just to get your favourite pub into the Good Beer Guide. You will more than likely try a beer that isn’t to your normal taste but what you need to consider is the quality of the beer. Ask yourself whether the publican has kept it in good condition and how have they served it, and score it in accordance with the scoring system in camra.org.uk/pubs, which is quite simple to use.

In order to submit your scores you need to login to camra.org.uk/pubs which is CAMRA’s online pub guide. The address is www.camra.org.uk/pubs and you can access the website by using your smartphone whilst you are still drinking your pint. The website contains over 31,000 pubs from all over the UK.

Here are the steps to submitting a beer score, or if you prefer you can watch a video taking you through this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSgRLWj7q20.

1. Login on camra.org.uk/pubs. To do this you will need your CAMRA membership number and your CAMRA password.
2. Start searching for your pub by name of the pub, the location or nearest tube/rail station. Postcodes and postcode areas eg W14 can also be used, but note that W1, WC2 and SW1 don’t work (you need to use SW1E etc instead). If you’re scoring while in the pub using your smartphone though you can just tap the ‘Nearby pubs’ button.
3. Locate the 'Beer Score' button.
4. Enter the date, score, brewery name and the name of the beer as the fields automatically pop up. If the beer that you are drinking is new or a one off by the brewery then you may need to type in the full name.
5. Click the 'submit' button and your score will be winging its way to the branch’s Pubs Officer.

Another added bonus is the fact that the website will automatically keep a record of all your scores and when you made them so you can look back to see what beers you have had in a particular pub and how you rated them.

In West London branch we have over 700 pubs and clubs listed in camra.org.uk/pubs. As you can imagine it’s quite difficult keeping track of how all of these are doing! Scores submitted by members are hugely valuable in identifying which pubs are consistently serving beer in excellent condition and can be considered for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. The scores also help us to identify pubs which require further surveys.

We warmly welcome scores from CAMRA members regardless of whether you live locally or have just been to one or two pubs while visiting the area.

Also, if you have any updates of the details in the camra.org.uk/pubs entry for a pub you’ve visited these would also be very helpful! Just click on the ‘Suggest an edit’ button in camra.org.uk/pubs and fill in the form with your updates.

You can learn more about beer scoring on the national CAMRA website at www.camra.org.uk/nbss including details of what the different scores mean and some frequently asked questions.

(This article is adapted from articles by Danny Clark in ‘Draught Copy’ and Sonia James-Henry in ‘Mersey Ale’ CAMRA magazines. Thanks!)