An independent Old Town pub is celebrating after earning a place in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide for 2027.
The Pulpit has been named as one of the new additions to the latest edition of the nationally recognised guide, which brings together thousands of pubs serving quality cask beer across the UK.
For the team behind the Swindon bar, making the guide is particularly special as an independent business.
They said: “We did it!! We are absolutely buzzing to have made it into The Good Beer Guide.
“As an independent pub business it’s a real accolade for us and a major accomplishment to be recognised for the quality of what we do.”
While The Pulpit may be one of Old Town’s smaller drinking spots, there is plenty going on behind the doors.
Alongside its beer offering, the pub has developed into something of a community meeting place, with a calendar that includes live music, poetry, quiz nights and its Cheese Club.
The team added: “A small bar with great ambition, The Pulpit ticks all the boxes.
“A cosy space that always gives a warm welcome and provides not just great beer but a community hub. I’m very proud to lead the fantastic team.”
The Good Beer Guide is produced by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), with pubs selected through an independent process involving its volunteers.
The 2027 edition contains 4,500 pubs, alongside information covering 1,700 brewers and 5,000 beers.
The Pulpit is far from alone in making its first appearance this year, with another 812 new entries included across the country.
The latest figures also paint a more challenging picture for Britain’s brewing industry.
According to data included with this year’s guide, 137 breweries have closed while just 57 new breweries have opened.
Although the rate of independent brewery closures has slowed, the figures show an industry that has yet to return to overall growth.
This year’s foreword has been written by crime writer Sir Ian Rankin, whose fictional detective John Rebus is well known for frequenting Edinburgh’s Oxford Bar.
The Oxford Bar itself features on the cover of the 2027 edition.
For The Pulpit, however, its inclusion means a national accolade for a small independent pub in the heart of Swindon’s Old Town – and another reason for the team to raise a glass.
