Two Aylesbury Vale pubs named among best in the region by Campaign for Real Ale group

The Campaign for Real Ale Group named The Hop Pole Craft Beer in Aylesbury and Grill and King and Queen in Wendover as its runners-up for the Branch Pub of the Year 2025 Competition.

CAMRA’s Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe branch members voted for their favourite pubs in the area and, it has been revealed, that voting was extremely close between the top five bars.

The overall winner was the Rose and Crown in High Wycombe.

In Aylesbury, local CAMRA branch members joined Ian Matthews, licensee of the Hop Pole. Branch chairman Mike Clarke presented the pub with its certificate. The Hop Pole is a consistent favourite of local CAMRA members, having won the Pub of the Year award outright in 2021.

CAMRA members praised the Hop Pole for having “beers kept in excellent condition and always changing,” “a warm and lovely atmosphere” and a “great selection of house and rotating ales.” The pub is now fully independent. It features beers from its previous owners, the Vale Brewery, in addition to an excellent selection of real ales from around the country. It is also a social hub for the local community, hosting live music and quiz and ukulele nights. The pub will be hosting a beer festival over the Easter bank holiday, CAMRA notes.

In Wendover, Mike Clarke presented King and Queen licensees, Pete Donne and Shelley Burns with their certificate. The King and Queen earned plaudits from CAMRA members for being “a proper pub with proper hospitality” and for being “very friendly and comfortable.” Another local drinker said, “It’s all about the beer” with the pub having “guest beers that are always well kept” and “some great food trucks visiting a couple of times a week.” Pete and Shelley have been at the pub for nine years.

CAMRA is a voluntary group and has over 200 branches across the UK. It has become known for its annual Good Beer Guides, an annual magazine, which details the group’s favourite bars up and down the country.