{"id":6518,"date":"2026-07-28T16:24:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=6518"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:30:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:30:40","slug":"camra-design-awards-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/07\/28\/camra-design-awards-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"CAMRA Design Awards 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As many readers will recall, CAMRA has been running the Pub Design Awards in conjunction with Historic England for many years now.  The awards are judged by a panel of experts in design and conservation and celebrate pubs that have been refurbished, converted, or have made a major difference to their community.  The chair of the panel, Andrew Davison, explained, \u201cDespite the increasing pressure on the hospitality industry, people are still prepared to invest time, money and energy into pubs and bars.  In these troubled times, the pub still has a key role to play in our communities and those who are working to conserve, repair and renovate them should rightfully be applauded<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winners for 2026 have now been announced and Greater London pubs feature prominently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversion to Pub Use<\/strong>: this is awarded for a building that was not previously a pub and focuses on how the building\u2019s character and historic features have been adapted to create a pub atmosphere and ambience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were joint winners, one of which was the Blue Stoops<\/a><\/strong> in Kensington (127-129 Kensington Church Street).\u00a0 This is a conversion from the former Kensington Wine Rooms by operators Allsopp’s Taverns.\u00a0 One striking feature is the blue ceramic bar front featuring the Allsopp\u2019s hand trademark. \u00a0It sells their beers.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n

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The other winner was St Peter\u2019s Tavern<\/a> in Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Refurbishment<\/strong>: awarded for the refurbishment of an existing pub building which enhances the design of the original pub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winner was the Leyton Engineer<\/a><\/strong> (265 High Road) which was originally Leyton Town Hall, a Grade II listed building dating from 1895.\u00a0 It was converted to a pub some time ago, originally operated by Antic, but it is now in the dependable hands of Remarkable Pubs.\u00a0 A number of historic features, such as glazed screens and mosaic and terrazzo floors, have been refurbished and a new bar-back installed, along with some brass chandeliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remarkable Pubs were also awarded a \u2018Highly Commended\u2019 for the European<\/a><\/strong>, again in Leyton (557-559 Lea Bridge Road).\u00a0 This former Wetherspoon\u2019s outlet (The Drum) had been \u2018modernised\u2019, during which all of its pub features were removed.\u00a0 These have now been restored to create a welcoming traditional pub in Victorian style, albeit one with the modern refinement of an open kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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McMullen\u2019s brewery received a \u2018Commended\u2019 for the Duke of York<\/a><\/strong> in Fitzrovia (47 Rathbone Street), which they fully refurbished shortly after acquiring it.\u00a0 The main point of interest is the ceramic tiled bar counter in the ground floor bar; they also removed what had become a somewhat controversial pub sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Local<\/strong>: this award recognises the conservation or refurbishment of street-corner pubs that are at the centre of the local community.\u00a0 The winner is the Lord Southampton<\/a><\/strong> in Kentish Town (2 Southampton Road).\u00a0 Dating from the 1850s, the pub closed in 2022 and fell into a near derelict state before Aimee Brown and Phil Harrington took a lease on it, carried out extensive repairs and reopened it as a community local.\u00a0 It now has one star on CAMRA\u2019s inventory of historic pub interiors.\u00a0 We featured the pub in our April\/May 2025 edition when it opened.\u00a0 It should not be confused with the Southampton Arms, also in Kentish Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not all of the London winners were able to celebrate the presentation in Birmingham and so Ellie Eames, our Regional Director (left), and Jane Jephcote, the chair of the London Pubs Group, accepted the awards on their behalf, with Andrew Davison of English Heritage looking on.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Historic England Conservation<\/strong>: this award recognises \u2018constructive conservation\u2019; preserving a pub\u2019s historical architectural features while, at the same time, improving its facilities to secure its future viability. \u00a0The winner is in Birmingham but I thought readers might like to know about it because it will (eventually) be handy for the HS2 station at Curzon Street.\u00a0 This is the Grade II-listed Woodman<\/a><\/strong> (1 Curzon Street, Digbeth) which has three stars on CAMRA\u2019s inventory of historic pub interiors.\u00a0 The pub\u2019s multi-room layout has been retained and the main features to look out for are the historic Minton tiled walls, especially those in the Smoke Room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For details of the other winners and photographs of the winning pubs, please take a look at https:\/\/camra.org.uk\/awards\/pub-design?selected_year=2026<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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