Saffron Walden Railway Arms named regional pub of the year

The Railway Arms in Saffron Walden, the town’s first community owned pub, has been crowned East Anglia’s Pub of the Year 2026 by CAMRA.

It is one of 16 regional winners now in the running for the national title.

Andrea Briers, CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition co-ordinator, said: "We have a formidable top 16 this year, with both familiar faces and some first-time winners in the mix.

"Behind each one is a deserving and hard-working team, running an amazing pub for their local community and serving brilliant cask beer.

"Please make the most of this bank holiday weekend by showing your support for the UK’s amazing pubs.

"You never know, you might pick one that ends up a winner next year."

The Saffron Walden pub was closed in January 2017 by its former owners and faced the threat of being turned into housing.

A group of residents formed STRAP (Save The Railway Arms Pub) and launched a campaign to keep the Victorian street-corner pub open.

Through a community share offer and a grant from the Plunkett Foundation’s More Than a Pub campaign, they raised enough funds to buy the building in summer 2020.

More than 500 people now own a share of the pub and many took part in the restoration work.

The group took ownership of the pub in October 2020 and began renovations over the winter.

The Railway Arms reopened to the public on April 6, 2021.

Since May 2021, it has been managed by Graham Pearson, who has more than 30 years of experience in the licensing trade.

The CAMRA Pub of the Year awards recognise pubs for their atmosphere, décor, and the quality of their cask beer, real cider, and perry.

The 16 regional winners will now compete in the “super-regional” stage of the competition.

The final four will be announced in October, with the national winner revealed in January 2027.