Twelve Thanet pubs and micropubs listed in The Good Beer Guide 2022

The Good Beer Guide

Twelve Thanet venues have made it into The Good Beer Guide 2022.

CAMRA Campaign for Real Ale) has published its 49th edition of the best-selling guide  with contributors encouraging readers to support their local pubs and breweries in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 159 pub listings have been recorded across the Kent area this year, with 18 newly listed in the Guide’s 2022 edition. There has also been a net increase in the numbers of breweries across the area (based on data collected up to the end of September 2021) while one brewery has closed, three new breweries are included.

For Thanet there is a good showing of a dozen pubs, both traditional and micro:

Old Bay Alehouse 137 Minnis Road, Birchington

White Swan, 17 Reading Street, Broadstairs

Banks Ale & Wine House, 244 Northdown Road, Cliftonville

Laughing Barrel, 35A Summerfield Road, Palm Bay

Fez, 40 High Street, Margate

Two Halves, 2 Marine Drive, Margate

Hair of the Dog, 73 High Street, Minster

Artillery Arms, 36 Westcliff Road, Ramsgate

Montefiore Arms, 1 Trinity Place, Ramsgate

Royal Victoria Pavilion, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate

Four Candles, 1 Sowell Street, St Peters

Bake & Alehouse, 21 St Mildred’s Road, Westgate

Nationally, the 2022  Guide has found the total number of independent UK breweries has risen to 1,902 in 2021 from 1,816 in 2020 – showing the highest number of breweries recorded in the Guide since publication began in 1974, and a national increase after recording the first decline in brewery numbers since 2008 in the previous edition.

However, while 138 breweries have opened this year and are newly listed in the Guide, 75 have closed, with other regions reporting higher or equal numbers of closures compared to new breweries.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “After the struggles of the past 18 months for the industry, it is great that The Good Beer Guide figures are showing the resilience of pubs and brewers in the face of strife – a national increase in brewery numbers after they dipped last year for the first time, as well as over 500 new pub entries. This is great to see, especially coupled with the news from the Government’s latest Budget, including the announcement of a new, lower rate of duty for draught beer and cider.

“However, the industry is still vulnerable in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns. Breweries still face issues around costs of goods, lack of business rate relief and silence from the Government on Small Brewers’ Relief reform. We are calling on the Government to make sure the new draught duty rate applies to containers 20L and up so that all our small and independent brewers can benefit.”

The foreword for this year’s edition of The Good Beer Guide was written by best-selling singer and owner of the Fox & Pheasant pub in Chelsea James Blunt, who has thrown his support behind the Great British pub and reflected on the industry’s struggles during the coronavirus pandemic.

The  Good Beer Guide 2022 is now available from the CAMRA shop at  https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2022 and there is an updated app version available for download on both iOS and Android device. CAMRA members can order the guide at a reduced rate of £12 + p&p. You can become a member and help save pubs for just £28.50 a year by visiting https://join.camra.org.uk/

10 Comments

    • Real World, You are obviously devoid of all taste buds and do not recognise good, tasty, well kept ale when you come across it. Guess you must be the lesser spotted common lager lout who wouldn’t know his bum from his elbow when it comes to our national tipple.

  1. I didn’t know there was a pub at the Royal Victoria Pavilion, I thought it just hosted an Argos-style warehouse that delivers beer via smartphone apps, where face-to-face service is actively discouraged at the bar counters

    • Face to face beer purchase is easily accessible at the extensive ground floor bar.

      I’m glad that we have such a wide choice of pubs, catering for every taste. Mine happens to be for real ale. There’s nothing better than spending an evening in one of my local pubs, in the company of friends and neighbours, enjoying a pint or two of excellent beer.

  2. There are some Ramsgate exceptions …
    The Conqueror (micropub), the Honeysuckle (historic pub) and the Hovelling Boat (micropub) to name but three.

    • Andrew, yes you mention three good pubs but the Thanet branch of CAMRA is only allowed 12 entries in the GBG. Thanet these days is blessed with many good ‘watering holes’ but with a restriction of 12 there will be some good ones that have to be left out.
      The Conqueror would not be eligible this year under CAMRA rules as the micro-pub has just had a new landlord and has ‘to prove himself’ before consideration next year. As the owner is the same person as The Four Candles, I am sure this will just be a formality for next year’s considerations.

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