There are just shy of 50,000 pubs in the UK, but only one can be the best. Up and down the country, there are loads of places that could be deserving of that title, but each year it’s up to the National Pub & Bar awards to determine exactly what the nation’s best boozer is.
For British pub owners, Tuesday June 24 was the biggest day of the year, because it was the date of the 2025 National Pub & Bar awards ceremony. Nominees were shortlisted back in April, when 256 brewers – a step up from last year’s 94 – were named as some of the best in their counties. Now after an agonising two month wait, a winner has come out on top of them all in what the awards are calling a ‘mammoth achievement’.
After all that suspense, The Bull in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, came home with the trophy. The Bull reopened in 2023 under new ownership and, according to the judges, has since ‘cemented its reputation as a leading countryside pub’.
It was commended for its blending of ‘quintessential qualities with the finesse and flawless service of a contemporary operation’, as well as its ‘stripped-back design, brilliant front-of-house team and exceptional food’. Sounds like pretty much everything you need for a quality evening out.
The pub’s head of food, Sally Abé, said that the staff are ‘all over the moon’. She also noted how important the awards are for bringing attention to independently owned pubs and bars, particularly when so many are struggling to keep the lights on. She said: ‘Over the last few years, pubs have really been struggling – a lot have been closing quite suddenly – so it’s amazing for this event to shine a spotlight on pubs and show that they really are pillars of the community, the backbone of Britain.’
As well as crowning a national champion, the ceremony recognised thirteen regional winners including north and south Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and nine separate English zones. You can read more about the London winner here.
National Pub & Bar awards regional winners 2025
- East Midlands: The Tollemache Arms
- East of England: The Gunton Arms
- North East: The Black Swan Inn, Seahouses
- North West: The Bull's Head, Mobberley
- Yorkshire and the Humber: Pinnacle Sports & Games
- South East: The Bull, Charlbury
- South West: The Beckford Arms
- West Midlands: The Wildmoor Oak
- London: The Red Lion & Sun
- Northern Ireland: Dundrum Inn
- North Scotland: The Barrelman
- South Scotland: Kenmuir Arms
- Wales: Britannia Inn
You can have a look at the full list of winners on the National Pub and Bar Awards website here.
Pubs according to Time Out
Once you’ve tried out a couple of the Pub and Bar award winners, why not have a look at some of Time Out’s faves? Here’s our favourite pubs in the UK, some seriously stunning pubs you might never have heard of, and the best beer gardens in the country.
Did you see that these are the 3 most beautiful historic pubs in England?
Plus: The northernmost point of mainland UK has a new tourist attraction.
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