Champion of the Thames, Cambridge

A smallish two room well run community pub just far enough away from the colleges and town centre to be able to avoid the tourist hoards and be the preserve of those in the know. The late 19th Century wood panelled decor is very deserving of its CAMRA two-star heritage listing and the bare boarded wood-panelled public bar to the left as you enter has some impressive etched window showing the Rowing champion from whom the pub takes its name. The panelled right-hand room was empty on our arrival and just about big enough to squeeze the 12 odd members of the PuG crawl. Sadly, the seating upholstery in this room is in desperate need of some TLC and looks like it hasn’t been reupholstered since the late 19th century. No hot food available as I do not believe there is a kitchen, but a decent selection of scotch eggs and Pork Pies are to be had. Four ales available from the five pumps on the bar with beers mentioned below and my half of Wolf Sirius Dog Star was very well kept. We were informed by the landlord of the previous pub that The Champion had just been announced as the local Cambridge and District CAMRA branch as their pub of the year for 2024, but I couldn’t help thinking whilst I sat here, “are you sure?” So much so that I had to Google the local branch web site on my return to indeed find that it was true. The reason given was the pub “has long had a great reputation for the quality of its ales including Abbot Ale and Abbot Reserve which are second to none”. I’m sure there must be more to it than that, otherwise it’s a first for me, a local CAMRA branch awarding a POTY based on the quality of its Greene King ale. It just proves what a subjective thing this pub reviewing business is. Best pub in the whole of Cambridge? With respect to the wonderful period interior and the excellent community feel, The Champion didn’t even make it into my personal top three for the pubs we visited during our crawl.

A CAMRA favourite, The Champion of the Thames is a small local’s boozer that has seen better days, I suppose that adds to the charm. To the left is a bare boarded L-shaped bar with a counter along the rear wall. One of the hand pumps was unused leaving GK Abbot and IPA available alongside Oakham’s JHB and Wolf Brewery’s Sirius Dog Star. Premium and craft keg was also available from the governor who was chatting to a couple of locals at the bar. In the right is a parquet floored room with exposed brick and wood panelled walls. The seating upholstery was very tatty, this pub has certainly been well used. The JHB was decent, but this heathen didn’t take to the pub as much as my comrades.

Official site of Champion of the Thames - www.instagram.com

Official site of Champion of the Thames - www.instagram.com

This is a late 19th century pub with a largely unchanged interior, attracting a CAMRA listing of **. The interior is low ceilinged and wonderfully traditional though some of the upholstery is very tatty indeed, all lapped up by a local crowd. I had a half of Oakham JHB, paid for by BF so I don’t know the price. This is a lovely place, worth including on a crawl and perhaps worthy of a prolonged stay.

A very traditional little pub with two rooms, at time of visit at least occupied mainly by locals rather than students or tourists. The listed building has a timeless sort of feel, helped by the lack of electronic noise. On handpump were Greene King Abbot and IPA, Oakham JHB and Wolf Sirius Dog Star.