The three pubs on the shortlist for our next Pub of the Year are:

Bell & Bear, Emberton (CAMRA social arranged for 4 February)

Chequers, Fenny Stratford (CAMRA social visit on 14 February)

Victoria Inn, Bradwell Village (CAMRA social arranged for 18 February)

Our shortlist for Cider Pub of the Year is:

Chequers, Fenny Stratford (CAMRA social visit on 14 February)

MK Biergarten (CAMRA social arranged for 29 January)

Bell & Bear, Emberton (CAMRA social arranged for 4 February)

Members should consider how each pub measures up against CAMRA criteria (which you can access on the previous page). The closing date by which members must submit their views is Saturday 28 February at 5pm.

Branch members may wish to read our outgoing Branch Chair's report to our 2026 AGM:

Chair's report to 2026 AGM

The 2026 Good Beer Guide will be published in late September. (See Branch Diary for date of our social to celebrate the launch of the latest Good Beer Guide.)

What happened last year?

On 26th September 2024, MK CAMRA held a social at the Bell & Bear, Emberton to celebrate the launch of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2025.

The Good Beer Guide is CAMRA’s seminal publication featuring 4,500 of the UK’s best real-ale pubs, in rural and urban areas.

Entries from Milton Keynes & North Bucks

• Station Tavern, Woburn Sands
• Nags Head, Great Linford
• MK Biergarten, Wolverton
• Ship Ashore, Willen
• Wheatsheaf, Maids Moreton
• Ousebank House, Newport Pagnell NOW WITHDRAWN AS USING MISLEADING DISPENSE
• Green Man, Mursley
• Mitre, Buckingham
• Stratton Arms, Turweston
• Bell and Bear, Emberton
• Frog and Nightgown, Newport Pagnell
• Conservative Club, Stony Stratford
• Victoria Inn, Bradwell Village
• The Lamb, Stoke Goldington
• Blackened Sun, Stacey Bushes

Pick up your copy of The Good Beer Guide here.

About The Good Beer Guide

Now in its’ 52nd edition, CAMRA’s publication is the best-selling beer and pub guide with a foreword from BAFTA award-winning producer Iain MacLeod alongside consumer features, industry analysis and a comprehensive guide to hundreds of UK breweries too!

As always, our nominees were curated from the highest scoring establishments on WhatPub, CAMRA’s members' scoring portal which allows all members to score the quality of every real ale they drink and might ensure their local is included in the Good Beer Guide in the future.

Congratulations once again to all of our entries – here’s to another fantastic edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide!

Want to get your local in the Good Beer Guide?

If you want to help the Branch choose the GBG pubs, get out and get scoring! Head to CAMRA Experience. and score beer.
You will see guidance on what you need to do if you aren’t sure.

Can’t score your beer because you aren’t a CAMRA member? Join CAMRA here.

The results from other Branches in our region for the Club of the Year competition are in and it is now time to move onto the Regional Club of the Year final. As there are only three entries this year, we can move straight to the regional final instead of holding county semi finals. All CAMRA members are encouraged to visit these Clubs and score them against the CAMRA criteria.

The three finalists are:

Bishop's Stortford Sports Trust https://camra.org.uk/pubs/bishops-stortford-sports-trust-bishops-stortford-182331

Hertford Club https://camra.org.uk/pubs/hertford-club-hertford-192369

Kettering Midland Band Social Club https://camra.org.uk/pubs/kettering-midland-band-social-club-kettering-161018

The judging form can be found here: 2025 Club of the Year judging form

All three clubs should be judged. and the deadline is Thursday 31st July 2025. Completed forms must be sent back to Carl Griffin, the Regional Clubs Officer at his email address: ku.gro.armac.lartnectsae@ccskcub