Sweep for Dacorum establishments in annual pub awards

Announced on social media on Thursday 19th March, the full list of winners was revealed as follows:

Overall Champion Pub of the Year – The Hop Tap (Hemel Hempstead)

Runner-up Pub of the Year – The Three Blackbirds (Boxmoor)

Cider Pub of the Year – The Rising Sun (Berkhamsted)

Runner-up Cider Pub of the Year – The Fishery Wharf Café (Boxmoor)

Community Pub of the Year – The Red Lion, Dagnall

Best Improved Pub of the Year – The Grand Junction Arms (Bulbourne, Nr Tring)

Taking top spot ‘Overall Champion’ was The Hop Tap, a micropub that can be found in Hemel Hempstead’s Market Square, run by husband and wife team Tony and Tracey Hosier. Mid-Chilterns CAMRA congratulated Tony and Tracey, commending their unwavering commitment to the procurement and keeping of real ales and ciders, with a nod too for ‘outstanding hospitality’ and ‘a roster of fun and engaging community events. No strangers to glory, the Hosier’s took the competition’s ‘Best Newcomer’ award in 2025, having been opened just four months, and ‘Best Bottleshop’ in 2024 for their previous venture Hops and Apples, formerly based in Highfield, Hemel Hempstead.

The move to a larger premise and more central location has proved fruitful for The Hop Tap team. Tony and Tracey explained what their award meant to them and their staff:

"We are absolutely delighted and truly surprised to have been named Champion Pub of the Year. The recognition has come as a wonderful and humbling moment for everyone involved.

"This achievement is a reflection of the continued support from our fantastic customers and the dedication of our hardworking team, who give their all every day. We take great pride in carefully selecting our beers, a passion that has always been at the heart of what we offer, ensuring a diverse and high-quality choice for our customers.

"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to CAMRA Mid Chilterns for their support and for recognising our efforts. This award means a great deal to us, and we look forward to continuing to provide a welcoming and exceptional experience for all who visit."

The localised pub awards are operated annually using scores from the Campaign for Real Ale’s membership voting system. These scores are considered by the branch committee, who announce winners and runners-up across a variety of categories.

CAMRA is thought to be the biggest consumer organisation in Europe and was set up in the early 70’s to protect cask beer and British pubs. Each year, the local Mid-Chilterns branch recognises the best pubs in an area that covers the entirety of Dacorum, along with other parts of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.

Jared Ward, Chair of Mid-Chilterns CAMRA comments: “It is a thrill to commend local pubs in our annual awards announcements. Given a clean sweep from pubs in Dacorum, it is clear that these establishments are a credit to the locale. The bar is extremely high, our winners should be proud of how outstanding their pubs truly are. A special acknowledgement for our Overall Champions at The Hop Tap, Tracey and Tony have fostered an environment that is both high quality in its offer and immensely welcoming through their stellar team at the barfront. If you’ve not been, you’re missing out.”

Jared expanded on current operating conditions: “Though awards offer an element of affirmation for those running our local community spaces, they do not balance the books in of themselves. Even our most acclaimed pubs echo much-repeated cries from the hospitality sector; operating costs are sky high and more support is needed. As discussions turn to a possible VAT cut for hospitality, to mirror standards across Europe, I would encourage those in a position of power to listen, and to consider just how important these businesses in their communities. Once pubs disappear social wellbeing suffers, history is lost and jobs, along with their tax contributions, vanish from the local economy.”

For more information on the Campaign for Real Ale, please visit camra.org.uk