We made our Pub of the Year 2025 award on 6th March to the Rose and Crown in High Wycombe.
We had an excellent response to our online poll and many thanks to the members who voted and left comments praising the shortlisted pubs.
The vote was close but the winner was the Rose and Crown in High Wycombe with 28%. Close behind were joint runners-up, the Hop Pole in Aylesbury and King and Queen in Wendover with 20% each. Congratulations also to the other two nominees, the King’s Head in Aylesbury and the Lions of Bledlow, which both scored well.
Branch committee and other members joined Chair, Mike Clarke, to present a certificate to Kirsten Palmer, licensee of the Rose and Crown.
Mike said “The Rose and Crown was joint runner-up in last year’s competition and is an excellent example of a thriving town centre local and shows how offering a great selection of real ale can build a loyal local following.”
The award was voted for by local branch members in an online poll. Members added their own tributes to the pub. Examples include: “the pub stands out as a survivor from the past against the backdrop of the Eden shopping centre”, “always a smile and good selection of real ale” and “beers are invariably in excellent condition and temperature, probably due to the traditional cellar and good attention to pump and line hygiene in the pub”.
Kirsten said “We are absolutely over the moon to have been awarded Pub of the Year from Aylesbury Vale & Wycombe CAMRA! This coincides with a five-year renewal of our lease, so you’re stuck with us!”
The pub has three darts teams and hosts other games such as cribbage and other card games. Live music is also featured each month with charity pub quizzes and sports on TV. It’s also convenient for Wycombe bus station.
Members of the local CAMRA branch raise their glasses to the Rose and Crown and wish it good luck as it goes on to represent the branch in the next round of the CAMRA National Pub of the Year competition.
The presentation to the Rose and Crown was featured in the Bucks Free Press.
POTY Bucks Free Press
Members also had much praise for the two runners-up. The Hop Pole was described as having “beers kept in excellent condition and always changing”, “a warm and lovely atmosphere” and a “great selection of house and rotating ales”. The King and Queen was “a proper pub. Proper hospitality. No food. It’s all about the beer”, “Very friendly and comfortable. Good rotation of guest beers and always well kept” and “whilst they currently don’t have a chef they have some great food trucks that serve a couple of times a week.”
Coverage of the presentations to the runners-up from the Bucks Free Press and Bucks Herald.
POTY 2025 runners-up
POTY runners-up Bucks Herald
