Which pub has been named best in Northern Ireland according to prestigious UK competition?

A Northern Ireland pub has been named as one of the top pubs in the UK as part of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) prestigious Pub of the Year competition.

CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2024 competition is hotting up ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, with the announcement of this year’s finalists from the UK’s nations and regions.

The Dog and Duck Inn in Lisbellaw has been named as the best pub in Northern Ireland and one of the top 17 pubs in the UK according to the CAMRA poll.

A family run, dog-friendly country pub, the Dog and Duck Inn is in the rural village of Lisbellaw, about five miles from Enniskillen. Noted for its welcoming and cosy atmosphere, it specialises in independent beers, ciders and spirits. No less than fourteen taps including four traditional cask handpumps, usually serving one real ale and three ciders, can be found at the bar.

The pub is also home to the Glenwinny micro distillery, which produces small batch rum, brandy and whiskey using locally sourced ingredients. Pubgoers can sample the range of spirits and even book a personalised tour and tasting experience.

A total of 17 fantastic pubs have battled it out with thousands of pubs across the UK to be crowned the winner in their area. Pubs in the competition are scored on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, but most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry.

For the first time a Northern Ireland winner has been crowned this year, having previously been part of a joint Scotland and Northern Ireland Pub of the Year competition.

The regional and national finalists will now compete for the UK National Pub of the Year award, with judges whittling the 17 pubs down to just four in late September. CAMRA’s esteemed National Pub of the Year title is the topmost accolade the campaigning group can bestow upon a pub. The overall winner will be announced in January 2025.

Last year’s UK National Pub of the Year winner was the Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire, which won the crown consecutively in both 2023 and 2022.

The recognition of pubs and their place in communities has never been more important, as the NI Executive is set to receive an independent report on options for reforming alcohol licensing laws.

Andrea Briers, national co-ordinator for the Pub of the Year competition, explained: “These amazing pubs really are the crème de la crème and I would encourage the public to seek out the 17 winners from across the nations and regions of the UK – they are top-tier pubs serving excellent beer, cider and perry, run by welcoming, hardworking staff.

“It’s also important to support your local all year round. With constant pressure from stubbornly high energy prices, fluctuating running costs and grossly unfair business rates threatening to drown pubs across the UK, it’s vital to get out and support the licensed trade.”

CAMRA continues to fight for wholesale modernisation of NI's licensing laws so that new pub and brewery taproom licences can be created without a huge price tag to help create a range of small, specialist and independent venues that can showcase the best of locally made beer and ciders and which are commonplace elsewhere in these islands and beyond. This would increase choice for consumers and help wrestle control away from the multinational brewing giants that dominate our pubs and choice at the bar.