Branch News

Next Branch Social Trips

For full details of our Social by train to Southport on the revised date of Saturday 10th October 2026, click here.

To see details of the Younger Members’ Social on Saturday 7th November 2026, click here.

One of CAMRA’s Latest Guidebooks features several venues in our area.

Click the image to see the book in the CAMRA bookshop. Log in to secure your member discount!

Branch Pub of the Year 2026

ROB Pub of the Year: The Fox and Pine Oldham



Runner up, Broad Street Social, Bury.

Congratulations to Chris, Michelle and all the staff at the Fox and Pine on their 5th consecutive win of branch Pub of the Year; an amazing achievement. Also congratulations to Jen and the staff at Broad St Social in Bury with a highly commendable runners up slot.

Rochdale POTY - The Flying Horse
2nd The Baum
3rd The Cemetery.

Oldham POTY - The Fox and Pine
Joint second place to The Puckersley, The White Hart and The Cross Keys

Bury POTY - Broad St Social
2nd Irwell Works Brewery Tap
3rd Art Picture House

Branch Cider Pub of the Year 2026

Our Gracie’s, Rochdale won the award this year having been runner-up in 2025.

See our Awards page for details of the presentation.

Branch Club of the Year 2026

We are extremely proud to announce that our Branch Club of the Year is, once again, Dobcross Band and Social Club. Well done to all at this vibrant and community focussed club. An award presentation will be held at the club in November 2026.
Presentation dates for Award Certificates can be found in our BRANCH DIARY

More about AWARDS here.

Good Beer Guide 2027

The selection meeting for the branch entries into the Good Beer Guide 2027 was held on 14th February 2026. 35 pubs and clubs were selected from Rochdale Oldham and Bury. The successful pubs and clubs have all been informed that they are included and the Guide has now been published.

Branch Magazine

Our Branch magazine "More Beer" is produced quarterly. The most recent issue is shown here. Click the image for the online version.

For previous issues go to the Branch Magazine page.

Social Media

Catch up on our recent activity and other pub/beer related matters & join in the conversations. Click the logos to visit our Social Media pages.

National News

The Good Beer Guide 2027

Released on 24th September 2026. Have you ordered yours yet? Click the image to order one. Members should log in to secure a discount!

Good Beer Guide App

Notice of shutdown of Good Beer Guide App

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide app will be shut down from 19 October 2026, so both the web-app and the iPhone app will not be available.
Members get Good Beer Guide information for free as part of their membership benefits, through the website.
You can transfer your favourite pubs, beers, and breweries from the app using an easy import tool. All app subscribers will be emailed with details ahead of the shutdown.

National Cider and Perry Pub of the Year 2026

The Hoptician in Dursley is our winner! Licensees Kirsty and Kevin transformed an old optician's shop into the go-to pub for real cider and perry in the UK. The four finalists also include the Black Horse in Rampton, Albert Tavern in Freuchie and That Beer Place in Chester. (Announced 2 October 2026)

You’re being lied to about British beer!

Four foreign-owned corporations make 80% of it. The 'imported' lager in your hand was probably brewed in Burton-on-Trent. That craft IPA on the bar is owned by Heineken. Here's how we lost our pint — and how to win it back.
See more on our Campaigning Locally page.

Planning Protections

The UK Government is proposing to weaken vital planning protections in England, so a pub is only protected from conversion or demolition if it is the last one in an area instead of the restrictions applying to all locals. Click here to see our Campaigning Locally page.

Champion Beer of Britain 2026

The prestigious competition to find the best beer in Britain has concluded for another year. Congratulations to Bristol Beer Factory for their strong pale "Independence".
Click here for full details of this year's results.

CAMRA National Club of The Year 2025

A popular Good Beer Guide Club has been announced (30 January 2026) overall Winner of the annual Club of The Year competition. Read more here about The Billingham Catholic Club in Billingham (Stockton-On-Tees), County Durham.

CAMRA National Pub of The Year 2025

The coveted title has been won by the Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire, bagging an unprecedented trilogy of top titles. (Announced 23 January 2026) Since the start of CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition in 1988, no pub has ever won the Campaign’s most prestigious award three times – until now. Read the full story here.

Help for pubs ‘short-term and short-sighted‘

Responding to the Treasury’s announcement in January 2026, of extra help for pubs in England with business rates, CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “This short-term announcement is not the ‘permanently lower business rates’ that pubs were promised. While it is positive that the chancellor has listened and announced extra discounts for pubs facing the threat of closure, it is short-sighted to think that today’s statement will give publicans the certainty they need.” Read more on CAMRA What’s Brewing pages.

Farewell to the WhatPub website

The WhatPub website is no longer being maintained, and was closed down on 10th December 2025.

Users may have noticed that there has been for some while now, an option to switch to the new CAMRA website. We hope that users will familiarise themselves with it. It has some really useful functions, like scoring beers, updating pub/club information, searching for beer festivals and even creating your own “trip” such as a tour of pubs. Why not give it a go now? CAMRA National website: National CAMRA A pictorial guide to beer-scoring on mobile phones will soon be available….watch this space.

Fresh Ale & Handpump Hijack Campaign

For generations, a handpump on the bar has been a sign of quality. Where cask is well kept, consumers can be sure of a spotless cellar, well-trained bar staff and a commitment to offering the best of UK brewing. Now, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) – one of the world’s largest brewery conglomerates – has resorted to misleading consumers by hijacking the handpump to serve its “Fresh Ale” product. CMBC says this is “preserving the beloved hand pull ritual that delivers the traditional theatre of serve that ale is famed for”. CAMRA believes consumers deserve better than CMBC play acting at serving cask – a product they claim to champion while closing breweries and removing cask lines from bars. Our handpump hijack campaign calls on brewers to be proud of all their whole range of beers by serving them in a way that won’t mislead their customers. Read more, including How to report Fresh Ale if you see it, on our Campaigning Locally page Campaigning locally