A bumper crop of 12 Thanet pubs and micropubs and six breweries have made it into the 2025 Good Beer Guide.
The guide, produced by The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), is now in its 52nd edition. This year soap series pubs The Rovers Return Inn and the Woolpack feature on the guide covers.
Despite the tough trading environment facing a lot of licensees, they continue to battle against the odds, and the 2025 Guide boasts over 900 pubs across the country that are new to this edition.
Information in the Guide is collated by thousands of CAMRA volunteers who give up their time every year to select the best of the best across the UK. As well as covering 145 of the very best pubs across Kent, it includes 28 new pub entries across the county.
The foreword of The Good Beer Guide 2025 has been written by multi award-winning Iain Macleod, ITV’s Executive Producer for Continuing Drama
CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “CAMRA’s mission is to ensure support from the Government as well as tangible legislation to protect pubs in this country. By next year’s edition of the Guide, we want to be talking about the beer and pub trade growing with the support of communities and parliament alike.”
Thanet entries:
Broadstairs
The Magnet
37 Albion Street
Owned by Nikki Munn and Will Leeves have been at the helm of the venue since February 2019 and are known for real ales and ciders, involvement in community events and fundraising and excellent customer service.
The Royston
2 The Broadway
The Royston micro-pub in Broadstairs won Thanet Pub of the Year for the second time in a row this year.
Run by Andy Smith and Melissa Goacher, with loyal staff, it has a mix of Victorian, steampunk and Art-Deco themes. It has a showpiece chiller cabinet with three to five local and national ales including many from high-end brewers. It also has an extensive wines and spirits menu, alcohol free choices and barista quality espresso coffee.
Margate
Ales of the Unexpected
105 Canterbury Road
A micropub created in a former fishmonger’s in Westbrook which first opened in 2013.
Sells real ales, ciders plus wine and has an interesting map collection on display.
Mechanical Elephant
Marine Terrace
Wetherspoon pub Ideally located opposite the beach with a name that derives from a large roving mechanical elephant that gave rides along the seafront in the 1950s.
Pub manager Mac Cole said: “I am delighted that The Mechanical Elephant has been recognised for the quality of its real ales by CAMRA members.
“We offer our customers an excellent range of real ales at all times, including those from regional brewers and microbrewers, as well as hosting our own beer festivals.
“Staff at the pub work hard to ensure that the real ales on offer are kept in first-class condition at all times and the pub’s inclusion in the guide highlights this.”
Two Halves
2 Marine Drive
The Two Halves is owned by Shaun and Jackie Smethers and first opened its doors in July 2015. It prides itself on serving good cask real ales, ciders and wines – accompanied by plenty of conversation and fantastic sea views. Look out for the old-fashioned postcards in the loo!
Ramsgate
Artillery Arms
36 West Cliff Road
A no-frills real ale boozer. The pub has artillery prints/memorabilia and fine listed windows depicting Napoleonic scenes
Honeysuckle Inn
31 Honeysuckle Road,
The 17th century Honeysuckle Road pub was taken on by landlords Joe and Kat Gibbons during covid.
It is also host to concession Salt. Barbers headed up by Ramsgate resident Alex Gillings.
Hovelling Boat Inn
12 York Street
Dog friendly micropub with cask ale and ciders/perries. The former pub site reopened as a micropub in March 2013.
Montefiore Arms
1 Trinity Place
Owned by Ramsgate Brewery owner Eddie Gadd, so a good selection of Gadds beers among others. Back street pub with a number of loyal regulars and a 20 ft mahogany bar top that dominates the Public Bar area
Pub Ramsgate
87 High Street
Opened by boss Nicola Werner in 2021. It has a bright, clean, eclectic look with exposed brick, dark wood and fabulous local art on the walls. Bavarian beers are sourced directly for the pub’s Springfest and Oktoberfest events.
Red Lion
1 King Street,
Likely the oldest surviving pub in the town. It was known as the Red Lyon in 1650 and until the town hall was built in 1785 it was used as the admin centre for the town’s Parish Officers, now operated by Thorley Taverns. Beers from the Ramsgate brewery (Gadds’) normally available
St Peter’s
Four Candles Alehouse
1 Sowell Street
Former shop now firmly established on the local micropub scene which also has its own microbrewery in the cellar.
Owner Mike Beaumont opened The Four Candles in 2012, followed by the site’s microbrewery in 2014.
The pub was given the name because it was previously a hardware store and Sowell Street, where it is based, is not far from the former H. E. Harrington’s general ironmonger business in York Street, that is famed for stocking everything you could possibly need. It is thought the shop was the prompt for a sketch written by Ronnie Barker of the Two Ronnies.
Breweries in the Guide
Four Candles at St Peters
Isla Vale Margate (brewing suspended)
Northdown Brewery Margate
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds)
Shivering Sands Manston
Wantsum St Nicholas at Wade
The Good Beer Guide 2025 is available to order now from https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2025/
Ales of the Unexpected 👍 Well done Jez.
my experience of a lot of these specialized ales , is that its over priced dish water – a gimmick – no more
Specialised ales? Do you know what you’re talking about Real World?
These outlets purvey good, honest and tasty real ales, are judged on these and are certainly not overpriced.
Do not confuse this with the sale of more expensive lagers and even some craft ales.
I suggest you talk out of your rectum, fella.
you are right to mention my rectum mr , the last time i drank real ale my rectum was rather overworked for a day or two , plus everyone is entitled to an opinion ( unless starmer has taken it away ) so thats yours and mines mine – end of .
Your experience of Real Ales is quite the opposite of mine.
Since CAMRA launched many years ago, challenging the rubbish being produced by a handful of big breweries, the Real Ale scene in Britain (and beyond) has blossomed.
Some pubs make a point of offering a variety of beers: a dark one (stout, Porter or a dark mild), a regular bitter, and a pale ale. The beers will change every few days, to be replaced by alternatives.
In Ramsgate, you might try The Pub or the Hovelling Boat. (There are many other pubs available. The ‘Spoons always has a varied, and cheap, selection)
Real ales are almost always cheaper than lager or Guinness.
I’m a little surprised that the Margate Wetherspoons is well regarded and the Ramsgate one isn’t!
In order for a pub to appear in the Guide, it has to be supported by CAMRA members who drink at that pub. The fact that the Pavillion has no entry this year is not a reflection of the quality of its beer.
Do they serve lager & lime?
There’s only one pub that does good beer in Ramsgate that’s in this guide, my local The Artillery Arms, the rest of the Ramsgate pubs on this list are dreadful.