The 2025 National Pub & Bar Awards took place on Tuesday 24 June, recognising outstanding venues and businesses across the UK’s pub and bar landscape. With thousands of consumer votes and a detailed evaluation process carried out in partnership with on-premise data experts CGA, the event celebrated industry excellence on both a national and regional level.
What Are the National Pub & Bar Awards?
Held annually, the National Pub & Bar Awards aim to spotlight the best pubs and bars from every corner of the country. This year’s awards featured an updated format, with 94 County Winners announced live at the event, followed by the unveiling of Regional Winners and special national titles. Each award was based on a bespoke scoring system, consumer votes, and expert insight.
Group Winners of 2025
Two headline honours were awarded to businesses that demonstrated exceptional performance across key criteria.
Mr Fogg’s, the popular concept by Inception Group, was named Bar Group of the Year. This award recognises a brand that has delivered consistently across multiple locations, combining creativity and guest experience. The Inception Group credited their passionate team and loyal guests for the achievement.
Camerons, a long-standing brewer and operator from the north east, received the title of Pub Group of the Year. The business was selected from a shortlist that included Brunning & Price, Hydes Brewery, JW Lees and RedCat Independent Pubs.
Regional Winners
A key feature of the awards is the recognition of regional excellence. Pubs and bars were honoured for representing the best of their area, with venues chosen to reflect community engagement, quality of service and customer satisfaction.
Regional winners included:
- The Tollemache Arms – East Midlands Pub & Bar of the Year, also winning the Tyrrells Tyrrellbly Good Taste Award
- The Gunton Arms – East of England
- The Red Lion & Sun – London
- The Black Swan Inn, Seahouses – North East
- The Bull’s Head, Mobberley – North West
- Dundrum Inn – Northern Ireland
- The Barrelman – North Scotland
- Kenmuir Arms – South Scotland
- The Bull, Charlbury – South East and overall National Pub & Bar of the Year
- The Beckford Arms – South West
- Britannia Inn – Wales
- The Wildmoor Oak – West Midlands
- Pinnacle Sports & Games – Yorkshire and the Humber
Another new accolade for 2025 was the Industry’s Choice Award, voted for by people within the sector. This honour went to The Devonshire in Soho, reflecting its recent growth and reputation under the stewardship of Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts.
Pub of The Year 2025
The highest recognition of the evening went to The Bull in Charlbury, which was named National Pub & Bar of the Year 2025. Located in Oxfordshire and operated by the Public House Group, The Bull reopened in July 2023 and quickly established itself as a standout rural destination.
Under the leadership of founders Phil Winser, James Gummer and Olivier van Themsche, The Bull blends traditional countryside pub character with modern service and hospitality standards. The venue has been recognised for its minimal yet inviting design, high-quality food and an exceptional front-of-house team.
Head of food, Sally Abé, shared that the venue handles around 1,200 covers per week, and the award win is expected to draw even more guests to the site. She also highlighted the significance of the recognition in a period where many pubs have faced closures.
Murray Ward, operations director for the Cotswolds at Public House Group, credited the entire team, from chefs to kitchen porters, for their dedication and impact on the pub’s success.
The Bull was chosen from 255 finalists, each representing their home counties at this national celebration of the UK pub and bar scene.
