At this point, I should mention that the 49th edition of CAMRA’s flagship publication, the Good Beer Guide, has now been published. This is not a rehash of the previous edition. The pubs listed, all 4,500 of them, have been reviewed post lockdown, hence the later than usual publication date. The Guide’s breweries section has also been updated and remains a unique source of information.
This year’s foreword comes from singer and publican James Blunt, who owns the 17th century Fox & Pheasant pub in Chelsea. CAMRA’s National chairman, Nik Antona, commented, “We are thrilled to have James Blunt on board, writing the foreword for this year’s Good Beer Guide. Having saved a pub from demolition and running the business, he can appreciate the struggles felt by thousands of publicans across the country during the pandemic. Pubs have faced a number of unique challenges since the first lockdown in March 2020, including long periods of closure, reduced turnover and higher overheads due to social distancing
measures. As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we hope people will take James’ advice and use the Good Beer Guide to visit excellent pubs across the country. They need your support now more than ever.”
The Good Beer Guide can be obtained on-line or local CAMRA Branch and beer festivals.