Islanders are congratulating the Trafalgar in Ramsey on being confirmed as one of the best pubs in the British Isles.

The ‘Traf’ finished runner up to winner of CAMRA’s pub of the year The Tamworth Tap in Tamworth, which won for the second year running.

It’s the first time in the history of the Campaign for Real Ale’s competition a Manx pub has made it this far.

CAMRA is a voluntary consumer organisation that promotes real ale, cider, perry and traditional British pubs and clubs.

After winning CAMRA’s local 2023 pub of the year, and the regional pub of the year for Cumbria, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, the Trafalgar Hotel was entered in to the top 16 finalist pubs in the National Pub of the Year competition. The finalists were then whittled down to just four.

The ‘Traf’, run by Steph Tiesteel, was competing against The Nelson, in Tonbridge, Kent, The Tamworth Tap, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Beer Engine, in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

The judging was undertaken by f our CAMRA members who hadn’t been part of any voting in previous rounds, and they anonymously visited all four pubs individually at random periods late last year.

The categories that they judge the pubs on are: Quality and condition of beer/cider/perry, promotion and knowledge of product, cleanliness and staff hygiene, community focus and atmosphere, welcome and offering, style and decor, sympathy with CAMRA’s aims and overall impression and value.

Reacting to the news of the Trafalgar just missing out on a win, Tori Williams congratulated Steph Tiesteel and her team on their run to the final four on Facebook, saying it was an ‘amazing achievement to come in top 4’.

Hers was a sentiment shared by others including Keith McKay who said: ‘The Trafalgar Hotel will always be my #1!’

In a humble post shared on Facebook, the Trafalgar congratulated the Tamworth Tap on its win.