The MP for Reigate and Banstead, Rebecca Paul, recently ran a survey to find the best pubs in her constituency. She made a speech in Parliament announcing the results, which are as follows:

• Best Food and Drink Pub - Well House Inn
• Best Pub Garden - Well House Inn
• Best Family Pub - Sportsman
• Best Community Pub – Garibaldi
• Best Overall Pub - Garibaldi

During the speech she mentioned the Garibaldi's potential closure if sufficient funds could not be raised for its purchase. It was stressed how important pubs like this are for the community, and the Pubs’ Minister Kevin Hollinrake was invited to visit it with her.

The Garibaldi has also received coverage on the BBC News national website, BBC Surrey, ITV local news, and local news on various radio stations such as Greatest Hits.

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Huge congratulations to Cobbett's Beer Shop and Micropub in Dorking who have won our Branch Cider Pub of the Year for 2025, which makes the third consecutive year that Tim and Helen have won the award. Members of the branch gathered in the venue on the afternoon of Saturday 17th May 2025 to present the certificate and enjoy a celebratory drink or two.

We were joined by the team from Barnard's Cyder, who are based locally in Abinger Hammer, and their ciders are sold both on draft and in bottles at Cobbett's. Their Surrey Medium Cider won Cider of the Festival at the 2023 Redhill Beer Festival.

Pictured below is our branch chairman, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate to Tim from Cobbett's.

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The Garibaldi will be hosting an important community event on Saturday 3rd May from 1200-1800 where they’ll be sharing updates on the future of the pub. This is your chance to stay informed about the latest developments, ask questions, and get involved in shaping the future of the community pub. Whether you're a long-time local or just curious about what's coming next, they want to hear your thoughts.

Come along for an engaging discussion with local leaders, directors, and planners. If you plan to attend, please RSVP directly to the venue, share the news about the event and bring along anyone who might be interested.

We are saddened to announce the loss of another branch brewery, By The Horns, which ceased trading at the end of January 2025. The brewery was founded in 2011 by Alex Bull and Chris Mills, and started with a five and a half barrel kit in Summerstown in south west London before moving production out to a new 12,000hl site in Salfords in 2021.

Production of beer at the Salfords site has now finished, and the tap room is now closed. The announcement on their website suggests some of their beers will still be remain available at The Phoenix Pub in the AFC Wimbledon stadium for the remainder of the 24/25 football season.

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The 2025 Pilgrim Ale Trail is taking place across 10 outlets in Reigate and Redhill between 1st - 31st March. This year, all venues will have a stock of passports so it doesn’t matter where you start. Buy a pint of Pilgrim ale and receive a stamp in your passport and then, when you've collected all 10 stamps, you can pick up your limited edition Ale Trail finisher's t-shirt from the Pilgrim Brewery Taproom.

Pick up your passport and collect stamps from these participating outlets:

• Garibaldi
• Cage
• Hatch
• Old Chestnut
• Skimmington Castle
• Blue Anchor
• Plough Inn
• Hop Stop Bar
• Market Stores
• Pilgrim Brewery Taproom

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On Saturday 7th December 2024, we made our annual pilgrimage to The Surrey Oaks in Newdigate for our branch Christmas meal. Whilst we were there, we presented the venue with a special award to celebrate their 30 years of inclusion in The Good Beer Guide.

Pictured below is our branch treasurer, Martin Longhurst presenting the award to Matt, the current landlord who has now been responsible for the pub appearing for the past eight years. Matt also announced exciting plans for an extension at the rear of the premises, which will house a new restaurant area, meaning the original front of the pub can eventually be used exclusively by drinkers.

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Right on the edge of our branch area, Saturday the 30th November saw a new micropub open on Warlingham Village Green. Ales On the Green is based in a former charity shop directly facing the Green itself and is within a few metres of local bus stops.

As well as serving real ale, the venue also offers cider, wines and soft drinks. There’s a strong community focus with a vinyl record exchange plus a meeting room at the back of the pub which can be hired for free by local community groups.

There’s four hand pumps in total, on opening day three were occupied with Westerham 1965, Oakham Citra and Titanic Plum Porter.

Opening hours are likely to be fluid for the next few weeks whilst they find their feet but, at the time of writing, the pub will open at 1100 Monday to Saturday and 1200 on Sundays. Closing times are again likely to vary dependant on custom.

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The Titsey Brewing Co Taproom have announced their first ever beer festival, due to be held on the 4th, 5th and 6th October 2024. Organised as a celebration of green hops, they will be producing a couple of their own Green Hop Beers plus another four from other breweries. They should have 18 beers in total at the event.

There’s a special offer for CAMRA members - the normal entry fee is £6 per person which includes a glass and a token for one beer. If a CAMRA membership card is shown upon arrival, members will get a second beer token for free - that’s £6 for a glass and two beers.

More details and tickets available at:

https://titseybrewingco.com/event/beer-festival-2024

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Pilgrim Brewery have had their planning application for the redevelopment of the brewery at its current site approved. They will need to raise substantial funds to turn the current brewery site into an efficient, state-of-the-art brewing facility, with a larger indoor space and a dedicated community/event space.

They aim to launch a rewards based Crowdfunder campaign shortly to help funding.

If you have any ideas, please contact them directly at ku.oc.mirglip@foorperutuf.

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We'd like to offer our biggest congratulations to The Three Horseshoes in Cranleigh for winning our branch Pub of the Year Award for 2024. The branch committee and a number of members met at the pub on the evening of 17th June 2024 for our monthly business meeting and to present the award. As part of their celebrations, the pub had run a beer festival over the preceding weekend and we were lucky that there was still a range of ales remaining on the bar for us to sample.

We found the locally produced Dorking Brewery DB One, Session IPA from Langham, Black Beauty Porter from Vale and JHB from Oakham to name but a few.

The presentation was accompanied with an ode to real ale, entitled “The Love of Beer”, specially written by landlord Peter for the event:

I love my beer – I really do – I’ve loved it all my life. I’ve loved it more than any girl and more than either wife! I’ve loved it with a vigour which I thought would never end. But nowadays I love it as a good and faithful friend.

It’s funny how our passion burns so hot when love is young. How evenings last forever, filled with love’s romantic song. But sadly, what was daily, turns to weekly far too soon. Then weakly spelled another way, then once in a blue moon.

But as I come to 50 years of drinking undeterred (My golden anniversary and never a cross word). It’s still a daily thing for me – my passion burns as bright. And my heart still skips a beat before my first pint of the night.

Now, if you are a lager man who drinks cold, fizzy beer. Your marriage in monogamous – that fact is mighty clear. You’re faithful, loyal good and true – in fact you’re quite alright. And, proving that, you come home to the same beer every night.

Now once there was a lager man, quite faithful to his Carling. Who went off with a Fosters unbeknown to his old darling. But he rushed home, he held her close, he hugged her and he kissed her. ‘Cuz lagers taste so similar, he thought he’d bedded the wife’s twin sister.

But look at me, a real ale man who likes beer warm and flat. I am the Sheik of Arabie – there is no doubt of that. When I come home each evening and the bonds of work are freed. A harem of real ale awaits to meet my every need.

I might just want a tall blond beer or one that’s short and brown. A weak one or a strong one – they never let me down. A beer’s not unattractive just because that beer is stout. Or even if it’s old, and there’s a lot of that about.

The boys at Marstons know these things where they still brew their Owd Roger. A drink to warm the cockles of this beer inspired old codger. And if you’re feeling fruity and I want a certain thrill. Then Theakston’s Old Peculier quite neatly fits the bill.

So come on Mr lager man and take me by the hand. I’ll lead you into paradise and through the Promised Land. I’ll show you things you’ve never seen, we’ll visit pastures new. And whilst we’re there we might as well just try a beer or two.

Please have no fear about your wife, whose name we know is Stella. A smashing girl who’ll love you still no matter what you tell her. So, if you hate the option which is bitter stout and old. She’ll have you back, although you might feel she’s a little cold.

But think about these things and get it right for goodness sake. The bed you get to lie in is the one you’ll have to make. The ones who get it right end up on holidays with SAGA. But those of us who marry in haste, they say, repent at lager.

Pictured below is branch chair, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate to Peter alongside his team.

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Monday the 13th May 2024 saw the branch meet at Kingswood Village Club for our monthly meeting and to present the venue with their certificate for winning our 2024 Club of the Year competition. On the bar we found Pilgrim Brewery Progress and Dark Star Hophead.

The Club has won the award on 12 occasions since 2011, and there's always a warm welcome for us when we visit. Card-carrying CAMRA members are always happily admitted for free.

Pictured is our branch chairman, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate.

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Launching on Thursday 25th April 2024, and in collaboration with The Godstone Brewers, is a display on Pubs and Brewing in East Surrey at The East Surrey Museum.

The museum is located at 1 Stafford Road in Caterham (adjacent to the rail station), and is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 1000 to 1700, and on Saturday from 1030 until 1600. Admission is free.

For more details, check out the museum’s website at http://www.eastsurreymuseum.org.uk/

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This year's Pilgrim Ale Trail is taking place across 10 outlets in Reigate and Redhill between 1st - 31st March. Buy a pint of Pilgrim ale and receive a stamp on your passport and then, when you've collected all 10 stamps, you can pick up your limited edition Ale Trail finisher's t-shirt.

Pick up your passport from any of the participating outlets:

• Old Chestnut
• Blue Anchor
• Market Stores
• Skimmington Castle
• Plough Inn
• Garibaldi
• Hop Stop Bar
• Black Horse
• Hatch
• Pilgrim Brewery Taproom

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