BV London Pub of the Year 2021-22 - the results

As the returning officer for the constituency of London Pub of the Year 2021-22 I hereby declare the top five pubs in this years competition are as follows:

(If you haven't yet familiarised yourselves with the eight contenders - the 'ballot paper', if you will, you may possibly want read parts one and two where I review the pubs. And avert your eyes because the results are coming up.)

After an enforced three-year break, this years competition has been a fascinating one. It's Truss vs Sunak all over again, only this time Badenoch wins. Or something.

Anyhow, let's crack the fuck on...

Ready? Good.

In 5th place, and putting Selsdon on the beer atlas for quite possibly the first time in history, we have the Golden Ark, a quirky community micropub that brings interesting beer to an area that was once, putting it politely, somewhat lacking. (Putting it less politely, it was fucking shite.)

Continuing the ‘small is beautiful’ theme, 4th place goes to the Rake, arguably London’s original micropub, and still the most exciting place to drink in the Borough area.

On to No. 3 and storming back into the competition after a fair few years is the Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak, where the oldest of old skool décor somehow feels a perfectly normal home for the latest and greatest craft beers.

And now we come to the really exciting stuff... 

Have a POTY award to go with your cake!

Our runner-up is the excellent Hope in Carshalton, a pub that has won more awards than . Last year the Hope even won a BAFTA for ‘best supporting pub that floor managers dream of visiting after getting off set’.

But there can be only one winner. During lockdown we gave a special award to a pub that went above and beyond the call of beer duty – and now that same pub has won the award outright.

I give you, the BV 2021-22 London Pub of the Year… the Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath.

A truly wonderous establishment in which to enjoy not only the best that cask beer has to offer, but so much more as well. Nick, his team and even his family have built the ultimate destination micropub out of nothing, and, if we're honest, in the face of some ludicrous opposition and prejudice.

But it's a fantastic pub, and that's what this lark is all about. I mean, it takes me two whole hours to get there. Each way. But it's always worth the journey.

We have a winner. Congrats!