Wakefield city centre pub named CAMRA Pub of the Year 2025
A city centre bar has received its CAMRA’s pub of the year 2025 award.
The award was presented on April 26 by the Campaign for Real Ale’s Wakefield and District branch at Luis Bar at Fernandes, where licensees Liz and Howard Hughes were joined by regulars and CAMRA members for the presentation.
It is the first time the pub has taken the award since 2007, with CAMRA recognising its consistently high-quality cask ales, welcoming atmosphere and strong focus on community use.
CAMRA branch chairman Mark Goodair said the venue stood out as a key part of the city’s independent beer scene.
He said: “We are here to present our 2025 Pub of the Year Award. It is the first time in 19 years that Fernandes has won the award and it’s quite an achievement.
"It is the only brew pub in the city centre which serves its own beers as well as from local breweries.”
Liz thanked staff and customers after receiving the award
She said: “Thank you to my amazing team – Howard, Gayle, Viki, Steve, Michael and Dawid. These guys make the pub. Thanks to you all for drinking the beer. Thank you to everyone.”
The pub is based in a building with brewing heritage dating back to the 19th century, originally constructed as a malthouse linked to the Fernandes brewery site.
The building has been used for brewing in various forms over the decades before being redeveloped as a pub and brewery tap.
Following a refurbishment in 2021, the venue was relaunched with its bar moved to the lower floor and an expanded focus on cask ale production.
It now offers a rotating selection of up to nine cask ales, many brewed on site, and holds Cask Marque accreditation for quality.
As well as its beer range, the pub hosts regular quiz nights and live music sessions and maintains a family- and dog-friendly policy.
The Pub of the Year award is decided through CAMRA’s member voting system, where pubs are nominated, shortlisted and then judged on beer quality, atmosphere and their contribution to the local community.
The Campaign for Real Ale, founded in 1971, promotes traditional cask ale and pub culture across the UK and has a strong membership base in Wakefield and the wider region.
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