The race to find the best pub in the UK is down to its final four. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has named the finalists for its National Pub of the Year 2026, whittled down from a final 16.

In the running are the Turks Head in St Helens, Merseyside; the Countryman’s Inn in Hunton, North Yorkshire; the Cockpit in Chislehurst, London; and the Tamworth Tap in Tamworth.

It’s a mix of familiar names and fresh faces. The Tamworth Tap, the first pub ever to win the national title three times, is chasing a record fourth crown, while the Turks Head has been a regional winner before. The community-owned Countryman’s Inn and the Cockpit, Chislehurst’s first micropub, which opened in December 2020, are both first-time regional and super-regional winners.

Andrea Briers, CAMRA Pub of the Year Coordinator, said: “Despite the well-documented challenges facing our pubs and brewers, these licensees have not just survived, but thrived.”

Good luck to all four finalists. If you find yourself near any of them on your travels, they sound well worth a visit. Find out more about the competition at camra.org.uk/awards/pub-of-the-year