September 2025 news

Here's an update on the latest news and information from West London branch of CAMRA.

Branch events

Why not join us on one of our branch socials or meetings? We'd love to see you! Here is a list of our events:

• August
  
  • Tue 26 (2pm) Charing Cross social – from brand new to fin de siècle, via an old favourite. Please note that the Stranded will be opening an hour early at 2pm for our visit! 2.00pm Stranded 430 Strand, WC2R 0QN; 3.00pm Lemon Tree 4 Bedfordbury, WC2N 4BP; 4.00pm Salisbury 90 St. Martin's Lane, WC2N 4AP
• September
  
  • Wed 10 (2.30pm) Hammersmith Broadway Social: 2.30pm Distillers (64 Fulham Palace Road, W6 9PH); then, 4.15pm Craft Beer Co (17-18 Broadway Shopping Centre, W6 9YD); and, 5.30pm William Morris (2 King Street, W6 0QA).
  • Tue 23 (2pm) St James's Lions Social: 2pm Red Lion (23 Crown Passage, SW1Y 6PP); then, 3pm Golden Lion (25 King Street, SW1Y 6QY); and, 3.45pm Red Lion (2 Duke of York Street, SW1Y 6JP).

Branch and regional CAMRA news and events

• London Pubs Group continues its tours of historic pubs - for information see https://londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk/events.
• Our neighbouring branches have regular socials and other events - for information see the websites of East London and City, North London, South East London, South West London, and West Middlesex. See the London CAMRA website for links to other Greater London branches.
• London Drinker is available in pubs across London and online at https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/wordpress/ with details of CAMRA and beer related events across London, pub and brewery news, and more. 

Pub and club events

• Wednesday 27th August: from the manager of the Admiralty (Trafalgar Square): we will have our one-off barrel of Giniper (botanicals inspired by gin) 4.5% pale ale on sale on Wednesday 27th August - brewed with 3 of my team, myself & John Hatch at Sambrooks on John's nano kit. Not going to have a specific launch time so people can come in whenever they like - we will have live music in the evening after 7pm as we have the award night for the FullerSounds music competition that night where the 4 finalists will get their guitars & play some music for us too.

• Friday 29th August to Sunday 31st August from noon: Acton Real Ale festival, West London Trades’ Union Club, 33-35 High Street, Acton, London, W3 6ND. All CAMRA members welcome. The BLO for Portobello Brewery has a London Cask Beer Awards certificate to present to the Brewery at 5pm on the Friday.

Pub news

• Sir Alexander Fleming W2 1AS (JDW): this large site on the north side of Paddington Basin will reopen as a ‘Spoons, and the reopening has been pushed back a week to 30 September 2025 according to the JDW website.

• White Horse & Bower SW1P 2EE (Shepherd Neame): this site is finally due to reopen on 10 Sept 2025, following major building work. From the Shepherd Neame PR department: The wait is nearly over. After a stunning £950,000 transformation, The White Horse & Bower is reopening its doors on Tuesday 10 September – and you’re invited to be among the first to experience it. Just moments from Westminster Abbey, this historic London pub has been thoughtfully refreshed, blending its original character with a stylish new look and feel. Our kitchen is ready to serve a delicious new menu of locally sourced, seasonal small plates, hearty mains, and weekend brunch. The refreshed drinks list features award-winning Shepherd Neame beers, signature cocktails, and premium wines, including bottles from Kent’s flourishing vineyards. There’s more to come, too: with a line-up of live music nights and special events, The White Horse & Bower is set to become a vibrant destination once again.

• Green, 172-174 Uxbridge Road W12 7JP: (NW corner of Shepherds Bush Green): this site has been reported closed with scaffolding around it and has been temporarily closed in our database. If you have updated info please contact our branch secretary and contact.

• Ex McGetticans, 1 The Broadway SW6 1AA: (opposite the new JDW the Walham Green). We believe this site has reopened under a new name, the Clubhouse, but details are sparse, and the site has not yet made it into Google Maps. If you have any info again please contact branch secretary and contact.

• Service charges at the bar: Glendola Leisure operates nine pubs in London including, in our patch: Waxy O’Connor’s & Waxy’s Little Sister in the West End; the Barley Mow in Westminster; the Prince Alfred in Bayswater. Staff at these pubs now add an automatic 3% or 4% to the bill unless customers ask them not to. This is a way of ensuring money can go to staff through the tipping system without the operator paying tax. See https://www.londoncentric.media/p/why-london-pub-automatic-service-charge-real-reason-tax
  It is reported that other pub operators are studying this innovation.

National CAMRA news

• More national CAMRA news and events can be found in CAMRA's online newspaper What's Brewing available at https://wb.camra.org.uk/.
• CAMRA also regularly produces a podcast 'Pubs. Pints. People' available at https://camra.org.uk/podcast/.
• The Good Beer Guide 2025 is now on sale at https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product-the-good-beer-guide-2025/. There is also a mobile friendly online Good Beer Guide app available at https://goodbeerguide.org.uk/ (also available on the new CAMRA website).
• The new CAMRA website https://camra.org.uk/ has been launched. WhatPub and the Good Beer Guide are incorporated in the new website. The WhatPub website will as a result be closing down on 1st October.
• CAMRA also has a new logo - this branch website will be updated to the new look soon.

For the latest news check out our Facebook page. Also for news from CAMRA across London see London Drinker, and the London CAMRA Facebook page.