Welcome to your latest CAMRA Branch Update. We are now officially in Autumn and we’re beginning to look at pubs to provide us with somewhere warm to enjoy a beer or cider. CAMRA’s website is a comprehensive guide to all the pubs in the borough and the Good Beer Guide, published last week, is the go-to guide to the very best cask ale pubs in the country.
Branch Meeting
The next branch meeting will be held on 2 October 2025 at the Blackedge Brewery Tap, 55 Market St, Westhoughton, BL5 3AG. The meeting will start at 8.00 p.m. and members and non-members are welcome. Come along to try some of the seven Blackedge cask ales or other beery delights that are on offer.
Refer a New Member
On the subject of membership, CAMRA members now have the opportunity to refer new members. If they use the unique referral code when applying for membership, not only will they receive a £5 discount on their membership, but you will receive a six month Tastecard. Details can be found on the ‘My Profile’ page if you log on to CAMRA’s website here
Good Beer Guide
As mentioned above, CAMRA’s flagship publication, the Good Beer Guide 2026, was published on Thursday. The Bolton Branch has an allocation of 13 pubs which are voted for by branch members from a shortlist of pubs whose beers have scored consistently above the average for the previous year. This year sees the return of the Thomas Egerton in Egerton after an absence of many years while the Crown in Horwich appears for the 27th consecutive year. If you believe your local deserves to appear in next year’s guide, make sure you score their beers on the CAMRA website. CAMRA members can buy the Good Beer Guide at a discounted price of £14.99 at the CAMRA shop here.
Champion Beer of Britain
The Champion Beer of Britain is one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world. It is the ultimate honour for UK brewers and has helped put many into the national spotlight. Nominations are now open and you can vote to choose Britain’s Champion Beer.
Judging for the competition takes around a year, starting with individual nominations from CAMRA members and tasting panel nominations, leading to a series of rigorous regional heats adhering to a strict blind tasting policy. Members can choose up to five beers in each category for example bitters, milds, IPAs and stouts. You can vote by following the link here until 31 October.
Great British Pub Crawl Petition
CAMRA is supporting the petition started by the Great British Pub Crawl. The petition states:
‘We believe pubs are the backbone of our communities and vital in maintaining mental health and social interaction in many communities across the UK. In some cases, these are the only places that people have any kind of social contact.
We feel that far too many have been lost over the last 30 years due to a lack of support for the industry and we simply cannot continue on this course. We believe that pubs are our history, our heritage and have been our way of life for hundreds of years.’
If you agree with these sentiments, you can sign the petition here.
Awards
Our Pub of the Year B33R@33 in Horwich went on to take third place in the Greater Manchester round of the national competition. A certificate recognising this achievement will be presented to the pub on 9 October at 6.30 p.m. The pub will also be celebrating International Beer and Pizza day on that date, so double the reason for coming along.
Bank Top Dark Mild has received yet another award having been judged Beer of the Festival at the Chorlton Beer and Cider Festival. Trafford and Hulme Branch will be presenting the award at the Bank Top Brewery Ale House in Horwich on 25 October at around 1 p.m. followed by a social around Horwich. Bolton Branch members are cordially invited to join them.
Socials and Beer Festivals
Our next social will be to Stockport on 1 November. Meet at Bolton staion to get the 11.54 train changing at Piccadilly. Details of the itinerary can be found on the branch website here along with details of all our branch socials.
Bolton Beer Festival takes place next weekend, from the 2nd to the 4th October at the Toughsheet Stadium Premier Suite. This isn’t a CAMRA event but details of the sessions and tickets can be found on the festival website here.
If you fancy somewhere further afield, Carlisle Beer Festival takes place between 23rd and 25th October at the Station Hotel, Carlisle. Details of this festival can be found on the Solway CAMRA branch website here.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on in the world of pubs, beer and cider and a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes, lobbying the government and dealing with pub companies and brewers to ensure we can continue to enjoy a pint of cask ale or real cider in a convivial armosphere. Much of this work is done by volunteers across the country who give up their time to get involved at both local and national level.
If you believe that cask ale, traditional cider and the pubs we drink it in are indeed part of the backbone of our communities, why not come along to one of our meetings or contact me at chair@bolton.camra.org.uk to find out how you can help them survive.
Cheers!
John Mitchell – Chair