Six Southport pubs have earned places in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2025.
The happy half dozen include three venues in Southport town centre, two in Hillside and one in Birkdale.
There are no inclusions in either Ainsdale, or northern Southport, including Churchtown.
There are 72 Merseyside pubs included in the Guide this year, including 19 new entries.
Here are the six Southport pubs included: let us know what you think:
Southport town centre
1 – Guest House
The Guest House pub in Southport. photo by Neville Grundy
16 Union Street, PR9 0QE
Butcombe Adam Henson’s Rare Breed; Ruddles Best Bitter; Theakston Best Bitter; house beer (by Caledonian); 11 changing beers (sourced nationally; often Phoenix, Salopian, Southport) Close to the station and Lord Street, this listed building has an impressive frontage and interior, with three separate wood-panelled drinking areas. There are 11 handpumps, one of which serves a local microbrewery beer, and there is a wide range of malt whiskies. This quiet, traditional pub attracts a mixed clientele. It has outside seating at the front and a courtyard area to the rear. A quiz night is held on Thursday, and acoustic folk club nights on the first and third Mondays of each month
2 – Masons Arms
The Masons Arms in Southport
4 Anchor Street, PR9 0UT
Robinsons Dizzy Blonde, Unicorn; three changing beers (sourced nationally) H Small pub tucked away behind the town’s former main post office and close to the railway station. The only Robinson’s pub in Southport, it has new tenants, replacing one of the longest-serving licensees in the town. The interior has been revamped, with wood-panelled walls, and its roaring fire makes it an ideal winter haunt.
3 – Tap & Bottles
Tap and Bottles in Cambridge Arcade in Southport
19A Cambridge Walk, PR8 1EN
Four changing beers. A micropub in the arcade between Chapel Street and Lord Street, next to The Atkinson. It has a choice of four real ales from virtually any brewery, with a preference for North West breweries, plus a huge bottle selection, not all of which are real ale. It has taken over the adjacent unit to make more lounge space with benches and tables. There are also benches and table in the arcade outside
Southport – Birkdale
4 – Fishermens Rest
The Fishermens Rest pub on Weld Road in Birkdale in Southport
2 Weld Road, Birkdale, PR8 2AZ
Timothy Taylor Landlord; Theakston Best Bitter; Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold.
The pub gets its name from the infamous Mexico disaster of 1886, which is still commemorated every 10th December by crews from the local Southport lifeboat station. The pub was originally part of the Palace Hotel and was renamed after the bodies of the brave sailors and lifeboat crews were laid out in the building. The pub is also close to the Sefton Coastal footpath. A quiz night is held every Thursday night from 9pm.
Southport – Hillside
5 – Grasshopper
The Grasshopper independent micropub in Hillisde in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
70 Sandon Road, PR8 4QD
Eight changing beers (sourced regionally; often Heritage, Peerless, Salopian)
This micropub opened in 2016 in a former Martins Bank branch (the logo of Martins bank was a grasshopper). It is situated in the row of shops close to Hillside railway station. There is outdoor seating at the front pub and a secluded beer garden to the rear. Eight changing real ales and six real ciders are served. Oversized pint glasses are available on request.
Local CAMRA Pub of the year 2024 and Cider Pub of the Year 2023
6 – Pines
The Pines in Hillside in Southport
3 Hillside Road, PR8 4QB
Two changing beers (sourced regionally) H Housed in a former hairdressers, this tastefully decorated bar is in a part of town that was once devoid of drinking establishments. Two hand pumps offer a variety of beers, and a selection of bottled beers is also available. Sandwiches are delivered daily. Doggy treats are available (for well-behaved dogs). An outside seating area at the front is very popular in the warmer months. It can get noisy at busy times, but the atmosphere is generally calm and relaxing
The CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2025
The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide – the UK’s best-selling beer and pub guide – is celebrating its 52nd edition with two covers featuring two of the UK’s favourite locals: Coronation Street’s Rovers Return Inn, and Emmerdale’s Woolpack.
The Guide, which lists 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinker’s guide for those seeking the best pints in the nations’ pubs – and is on sale now:
https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2025/
Despite the tough trading environment facing a lot of licensees, they continue to battle against the odds, and the 2025 Guide boasts over 900 pubs that are new to this edition.
Information in the Guide is collated by thousands of CAMRA volunteers who give up their time every year to select the best of the best across the UK. As well as covering 143 of the very best pubs across Merseyside and Cheshire, it includes 36 new pub entries across the counties.
The foreword of The Good Beer Guide 2025 has been written by multi award-winning Iain Macleod, ITV’s Executive Producer for Continuing Drama.
In his foreword, Iain MacLeod says:
“…the story which threatened one of our pubs the most was also the one which most resonated with our times. In 2023, the Rovers Return closed its doors. A combination of the lingering legacy of the Covid lockdowns and the cost-of-living crisis meant that landlady Jenny Bradley couldn’t afford to keep it open. The characters – and the viewers – lamented the news like the loss of a loved one. If it were needed, it was a timely reminder of the central place the nation’s pubs have in our lives and in our affections.”
CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said:
“The Rovers Return Inn and the Woolpack represent the UK’s love of their local, and to have them featured on the covers for this year’s Guide is very exciting. CAMRA’s mission is to ensure support from the Government as well as tangible legislation to protect pubs in this country. By next year’s edition of the Guide, we want to be talking about the beer and pub trade growing with the support of communities and parliament alike.”
Coronation Street and Emmerdale are available to watch on ITV and ITVX. This year’s Guide is sponsored by Midland Snacks Traditional Pork Scratchings and endorsed by Cask Marque.
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