A DORSET watering hole has been shortlisted for the CAMRA Pub of the Season for Winter 2023/24 award.

The Horse and Groom in Wareham is described as ‘a traditional award-winning pub with roaring open fires, quality home cooked meals, local ales and a stunning courtyard'.

CAMRA, or The Campaign for Real Ale, has announced that the pub is one of four finalists in Dorset.

Dorset Echo:

Manager Joe Carter was overjoyed at the nomination. He said: “We're so chuffed.

"A guy came in and he delivered his little CAMRA magazines and he let us know we had been shortlisted.

“CAMRA’s criteria are the ale quality.

“It's also the décor and the general feel of the pub, the atmosphere, and the friendly service.

“And what we do best is the service.

“That's always what we've done and we're very particular about it.

“With winning the Daily Echo award and now this, it’s just been a really good year for us.”

The 35-year-old added: “We've had a lot of messages on Facebook as well saying that it’s very well deserved and they were just really pleased for us because they know we work hard and we do long hours, but it's all worth it.”

The pub also posted the good news on its social media and congratulated those who made it happen.

It read: “We are so proud to be nominated for this amazing award.

“Thank you so much to our wonderful breweries for all your delicious ales, to our amazing team who keep the ale in tip-top condition - and of course for the amazing, friendly service you all provide and the hard work you put in every single day.”

Other nominations include the White Horse in Stourpaine, Kings Arm in Langton Matravers, and Saxon Inn in Child Okeford.

The Horse and Groom in Wareham also has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor.

The winner of the CAMRA award will be announced in early January. 

The pub is on St John's Hill in Wareham, Dorset.