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In 2013, the Red Lion in Cricklade, Wiltshire took home the title of Best Freehouse before being crowned the overall winner.
The pub impressed judges with its all-round success story after it boosted its turnover by almost a quarter (23%).
The Grafton in Kentish Town, London was selected from the 17 category winners to be named the best pub in the country in 2014.
The site was lauded for its fantastic range of events and promotions, which helped stimulate business across all day parts.
A year later, West Yorkshire’s the Shibden Mill Inn was revealed as the Great British Pub of the Year 2015 after being named Best Freehouse Pub.
The pub’s all-round excellence put it ahead of competitors, according to the judges.
Stiff competition
An East Sussex pub claimed the title of Great British Pub of the Year 2016, after beating off stiff competition from more than 1,000 pubs across the UK.
The Bull in Ditchling was first named Freehouse of the Year due to a multitude of great initiatives.
A ‘socially conscious’ pub celebrated being presented with the top award in 2017.
The Eagle & Child in Ramsbottom, Lancashire drew praise from judges for its work as a social enterprise, giving opportunity and career options to disadvantaged young people.
A focus on providing an all round first-rate pub experience resulted in a north London-based pub winning the ultimate accolade of the UK’s best pub.
The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate struck gold after also being named Wine Pub of the Year.
The following year, a Devon pub’s blend of the ancient and the modern meant it was crowned the best in the country.
Impressing judges
The Cott Inn, near Dartington wowed judges with its stunning facilities and impeccable standards.
In 2020, the awards pivoted due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in the Great British Pub Awards Pub Heroes, which highlighted how key pubs were to their communities.
While no one pub was named overall winner, venues from across the nation were honoured during a tumultuous time for the sector.
In 2021, the industry fought its way back from the pandemic and a stunning transformation against the odds saw one pub crowned champion of champions.
The Brisley Bell in Dereham, Norfolk was also named Best Pub Garden and fought off competition from 12 other pubs.
Last year, the winner of the Marston’s Pub of the Year category went on to be named the best pub in the UK.
The Gun Inn, Findon in West Sussex impressed with its quirky modern twist without compromising its historic character.
And that brings us to this year’s prestigious ceremony, taking place on Tuesday 19 September at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse, where dozens of pubs are in with a chance of being crowned the Great British Pub of the Year.
The 2023 finalists:
Best City/Urban Pub
The Kings Arms, Bexleyheath, south east London
The Audley Public House, Mayfair, west London
The Bridewell, Liverpool
The Coach House, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
The George IV, Chiswick, west London
The Turk’s Head, Twickenham, Greater London
Best Country/Rural Pub
The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria
Cholmondeley Arms, Cholmondeley, Cheshire
The Three Hills, Bartlow, Cambridgeshire
The Elephant & Castle, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
The Plough, Normanton on the Wolds, Nottinghamshire
Fox & Hounds, Barley, Hertfordshire
Best Pub for Dogs
The Bellflower, Garstang, Lancashire
The Kings Arms, Horsham, West Sussex
The Leicester Arms, Penshurst, Kent
Bulls Head, Mobberley, Cheshire
The Maltings, Warrington, Cheshire
The Swan, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Best Pub for Entertainment
Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset
The Phoenix Arts Club, Soho, central London
The Kings Arms, Bexleyheath, south east London
The Saddle Inn, Chester, Cheshire
The Anchor Inn, Wingham, Kent
The Hightown Pub & Kitchen, Liverpool
Best Pub for Families
Gaggle of Geese, Buckland Newton, Dorchester, Devon
Puss in Boots, Offerton, Stockport, Greater Manchester
The Hightown Pub & Kitchen, Liverpool
Ye Olde Bridge Inn, Oxton, Nottinghamshire
The Plough, Normanton on the Wolds, Nottinghamshire
Almondsbury Creative, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
Best Pub for Food
The Beresford Arms, Morpeth, Northumberland
The Hinds Head, Bray, Berkshire
The Loch & The Tyne, Old Windsor, Berkshire
The Bulls Head, Holymoorside, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Carpenter’s Arms, Felixkirk, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Best Pub Garden
The Hare & Hounds, West Ardsley, West Yorkshire
The Elephant & Castle, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
The Drummond at Albury, Guildford, Surrey
The Bellflower, Garstang, Lancashire
Ye Olde Bridge Inn, Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Gaggle of Geese, Buckland Newton, Dorchester, Dorset
Best Pub to Watch Sport
Dartford Sports Bar, Dartford, Kent
Sports Bar & Grill, Canary Wharf, east London
The Royal Dyche, Burnley, Lancashire
The Coach House Restaurant, Dexter’s Sports Bar Grill & Terrace, Humberston, Lincolnshire
Cross Keys, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire
Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall, West Park, Leeds
Best Sustainable Pub
Bat & Ball, Breamore, Hampshire
Fox & Hounds, Barley, Royston, Hertfordshire
Stroud Brewery Taproom, Stroud, Gloucestershire
The Black River Inn, Black Torrington, Devon
The Loch & the Tyne, Old Windsor, Berkshire
The Rising Sun, Truro, Cornwall
Best Young Pub Chef
Charlie Kendall-Smith – the Dog at Wingham, Kent
Karl Quirante – the Cricketers, Ormskirk, Lancashire
Tabi Martin – Queen of Cups, Glastonbury, Somerset
Community Hero
Chaplin’s & the Cellar Bar, Bournemouth, Dorset
The Lion Treorchy, Treorchy
The Old Abbey Taphouse, Manchester
The Alexandra, Wimbledon, south west London
The Rose & Crown, Ashbury, Oxfordshire
Dog & Parrot, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire
Greene King Pub of the Year
East End Fox, Baillieston, Glasgow
The Carnarvon, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Hare & Hound, King’s Heath, Birmingham
Lion & Lamb, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex
Stag at Lyndhurst, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Guy Earl of Warwick, Welling, south east London
Marston’s Pub of the Year
Black Bull Hotel Old Langho, Blackburn, Lancashire
Cock & Magpie Bewdley, Worcestershire
Holly Bush Derby, Derbyshire
Royal Oak, Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Star Inn, Tideswell, Buxton, Derbyshire
Rose & Crown, Worcester, Worcestershire
Stonegate Pub of the Year
The Farmers Arms at Frankby, Wirral, Merseyside
Swan, Thornbury, Bristol, Gloucestershire
White Horse, Hambrook, Bristol, Gloucestershire
Allied Arms, Reading, Berkshire
Woodman, Pinner & Ruislip, Greater London
Admiral Pub of the Year
Keynsham Courtyard, Keynsham, Somerset
The Turf, Wrexham,
The Commercial Inn, Dunfermline
Boot & Shoe, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Bellringer, Berryhill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Brown Cow Inn, Liverpool, Merseyside
