'A great surprise and honour' - Celebrations for Codsall social club named best in the country by CAMRA
A Codsall social club famed for serving its own homebrewed beer has been celebrating after being named as the nation's best place for real ale, atmosphere and surroundings.
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The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has named the Firs Club in Codsall in Staffordshire as the winner of its Club of the Year 2024 competition.
The club was crowned champion above three other finalists to be named the best in the UK, which follows on from the Bailey Head in Oswestry being named Pub of the Year by CAMRA in 2024.
The Club of the Year competition is run in conjunction with Club Mirror magazine with the aim of finding the best clubs with the greatest commitment to quality real ale, as well as those which offer a fantastic atmosphere, welcoming surroundings and top quality real ale served in great condition.
After being named West Midlands Regional Club of the Year three years in a row, this is the first time the Firs Club has won the top award in the Club of the Year competition.
The multi-award-winning social club is a must visit for cask beer fans, with an onsite microbrewery opened in 2017 which features in its November festival, an event described as a real highlight in the local beer calendar.
Firs Brewery has been featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and produces a core range of ales, including some exclusives for the club.
As well as Firs beers, the bar offers five locally sourced ever-changing cask beers, usually including one mild.
In the comfortably furbished club, guests can enjoy a pint in the bar area, relax in the quiet lounge, play pool and darts in the separate sports lounge or play snooker upstairs.
The club said it prides itself on being the “number one place in Codsall to watch football”, and, in the warm weather, hosts live football outside on the large decking area.
The Firs Club hosts plenty of events for the local community and provides a welcoming space for private events, including weddings, parties and functions as a meeting space for local groups.
Club of the Year Coordinator Phil Gregg said: “The 2024 Club of the Year competition was extremely close fought. Each of our finalists were of an extremely high standard, and it made the judging harder than ever.
"We’re delighted to be announcing a first-time winner, and the Firs Club epitomises what’s great about UK venues like these, and how important they are to their local communities.”
Firs Club manager Anna Reynolds said: “Well what can I say, it's a great surprise and honour to win CAMRA’s Club of the Year award, it's something we thought was out of our reach.
"We couldn't have done it without the support of our club members, committee, CAMRA members and of course the staff who work hard to make the club a great place to visit and hopefully stay for a while.”
Shelly Bentley, West Midlands Regional Director for CAMRA, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the Firs Club and Anna and the team work incredibly hard to create a communal atmosphere and provide a stellar line up of beers for locals to enjoy.
"I hope this is the first of many successes for the club and its community.
"2024 has been a fantastic year for the West Midlands, this award for the Firs Club is truly deserved and comes just a couple of weeks after the Bailey Head in Oswestry was named Pub of the Year 2024.”
