The Dorset pubs dubbed among the best in Good Beer Guide 2022

The Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA's) 2022 guide has been released and aims to encourage readers to support their local pubs and breweries in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

The guide, which surveys 4,500 pubs across the UK, is considered the definitive beer drinker’s guide to the very best pints in the most picturesque and friendly pubs.

Despite being hampered by lockdowns and restrictions in the early part of this year, thousands of independent volunteers have worked together to compile this year’s entries, helping to identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.

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Their 49th guide has found the number of independent UK breweries has risen to 1,902 in 2021 from 1,816 in 2020 which is the highest number recorded in the guide since publication began in 1974.

While last year’s edition of the Guide captured data pre-Covid, the 2022 edition shows the ramifications of 18 months of lockdown had on the industry. CAMRA has been calling on the Government to go further with its support package for pubs and breweries, to help mitigate the damage done to a sector in recovery, and still scarred by extended closures.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “After the struggles of the past 18 months for the industry, it is great that The Good Beer Guide figures are showing the resilience of pubs and brewers in the face of strife – a national increase in brewery numbers after they dipped last year for the first time, as well as over 500 new pub entries.

“This is great to see, especially coupled with the news from the Government’s latest Budget, including the announcement of a new, lower rate of duty for draught beer and cider.

Best pubs in Dorset according to Good Beer Guide 2020 mapped. Picture: CAMRA

“However, the industry is still vulnerable in the aftermath of Covid-19 lockdowns. Breweries still face issues around costs of goods, lack of business rate relief and silence from the Government on Small Brewers’ Relief reform.

“We are calling on the Government to make sure the new draught duty rate applies to containers 20L and up so that all our small and independent brewers can benefit.”

Best-selling singer and owner of the Fox & Pheasant pub in Chelsea, James Blunt, has written the foreword for this year’s edition of The Good Beer Guide. He has thrown his support behind the Great British pub and reflected on the industry’s struggles during the coronavirus pandemic.

He wrote: “Whilst, in recent years, there might have been a trend for people to drink cheap supermarket beer at home, those people have been locked away for the best part of a year, and now those people want out.

“They can taste real beer from the tap, and food cooked by a pro, and they can meet legally and joyfully.”

The pubs which feature on the list and where they are based in Dorset include:

Askerswell

• Spyway Inn

Bournemouth

• Acorn
• All Hail Ale
• Firkin Shed
• Micro Moose

Bourton

• White Lion

Bridport

• Pursuit of Hoppiness
• Ropemakers
• Woodman Inn

Burton Bradstock

• Anchor Inn
• Three Horseshoes

Cerne Abbas

• Giant Inn

Chaldon Herring

• Sailor’s Return

Cheselbourne

• Rivers Arms

Chideock

• George Inn

Child Okeford

• Saxon Inn

Christchurch

• Saxon Bar

Corfe Castle

• Bankes Arms
• Corfe Castle Club
• Fox Inn

Cranborne

• Sixpenny Tap

Dorchester

• Convivial Rabbit
• Tom Browns

Gillingham

• Buffalo 2
• Dolphin
• Phoenix

Gussage All Saints

• Drovers Inn

Langton Matravers

• King’s Arms

Laymore

• Squirrel Inn

Longburton

• Rose & Crown

Lower Burton

• Sun Inn

Lyme Regis

• Pilot Boat Inn
• Rock Point Inn
• Royal Standard

Marnhull

• Blackmore Vale Inn

Pamphill

• Vine Inn

Piddlehinton

• Thimble Inn

Poole

• Barking Cat Alehouse
• Bermuda Triangle
• Branksome Railway Hotel
• Brewhouse
• Poole Arms

Portland

• George Inn

Preston

• Bridge Inn

Sandford Orcas

• Mitre Inn

Shaftesbury

• Ship Inn

Sherborne

• Digby Tap

Stoke Abbott

• New Inn

Stourpaine

• White Horse Inn

Stratton

• Saxon Arms

Sturminster Newton

• White Hart Alehouse

Swanage

• Black Swan
• Red Lion

Thornford

• King’s Arms

Wareham

• Horse & Groom
• King’s Arms

West Parley

• Owls Nest

West Stour

• Ship Inn

Weymouth

• Belvedere Inn
• Doghouse Micro Pub
• Globe Inn
• William Henry

Wimborne

• Taphouse

Worth Matravers

• Square & Compass

The Good Beer Guide 2022 is now available from the CAMRA shop through this link and there is an updated app version available for download on both iOS and Android devices.