What the Solihull and District CAMRA Website Offers

Updated

The Solihull and District CAMRA website is the local branch site for the Campaign for Real Ale covering Solihull and the surrounding district. It is a practical noticeboard and reference for anyone interested in local pubs, real ale and cider: branch news, upcoming socials and meetings, pub awards, a pub guide and archive material. It is a branch resource, not the national CAMRA site, and it links out to national CAMRA services such as the online shop and pub guide.

Who it is for and what you can find

The site serves two overlapping audiences: local CAMRA members who want branch dates and member benefits, and the wider public looking for pub recommendations or local beer events. The main menu gives a clear map of what is available:

  • News and diary – branch and pub news plus a branch diary of socials and meetings.
  • Pub information – a pub guide, pub awards and recommendations, and local pub history.
  • Drink and reading – the Solihull Drinker magazine, advertising information, and a real ale jargon buster.
  • Events – local beer festivals and events, plus previous branch socials and festivals.
  • Membership and archive – a members' area, local discounts for CAMRA members, a join link, and the Solihull CAMRA archive.

What the branch is currently highlighting

The homepage carries time-specific notices, so treat dates as a snapshot rather than a permanent calendar. At the time of the page content:

  • The 2027 Good Beer Guide is described as available, with a link to the national CAMRA shop. The branch congratulates selected pubs and clubs, including three in the Solihull area that have been selected every year for the last 10 years: the Fieldhouse, the Pup and Duckling, and the Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club.
  • The September issue of Solihull Drinker can be downloaded, and magazines back to 1982 are available through the archive.
  • Branch socials and meetings listed include a Christmas Crawl on Saturday 12 December 2026, a branch meeting on Monday 2 November 2026 at the Forest Hotel, Dorridge, a Young Members Autumn Forum on Saturday 7 November 2026, and a branch meeting on Wednesday 2 December 2026 at the Fieldhouse, Solihull.
  • Pub news includes the Orange Tree being closed for refurbishment and reopening on 20 November, the Boot at Lapworth reopening on 17 October after refurbishment, and the new Mallard in Tidbury Green opening on 15 October. It also notes that Fieldhouse and other Ember Inns extended a cask ale promotion to the end of December, with cask ales reduced to £3.50 per pint on production of a voucher in the Ember Inns app.
  • Local events listed include the St Alphege Beer Festival on Friday 30–Saturday 31 October 2026 and the Kidderminster Beer & Cider Festival on Thursday 12–Saturday 14 November 2026.

How to use it

  1. Check the diary first if you want to attend something. The branch diary and the homepage event list are the places to confirm dates, times and venues before travelling.
  2. Use the pub guide and awards pages when choosing where to drink. These reflect branch recommendations rather than a national ranking.
  3. Read the magazine or archive if you want local coverage or historical material; the archive goes back to 1982.
  4. Join or contact the branch through the membership link or the membership secretary address given on the page if you want member discounts and branch updates.

Limits to keep in mind

The site is a branch publication, so opening hours, promotions and event details can change after they are posted; confirm with the pub or venue before relying on them. The page does not state prices for membership or publications, and it does not say whether any areas require login beyond the members' area link, so check the relevant page or contact the branch for those details. For national campaigns, the Good Beer Guide shop and the national pub guide, follow the site's outbound links to CAMRA's national services.