The pub certainly has an interesting history
The Free Press in Cambridge has a rich history(Image: Cambridge News)
A pub in Cambridge has been named among the best in the UK for Guinness. Guinness has unveiled its first-ever Guinness Harp Guide, an annual list celebrating the pubs across Great Britain that serve an exceptional pint and act as pillars of their communities.
The 2026 guide highlights 35 pubs from London to Liverpool, Manchester to Brighton – and there’s even one right here in Cambridgeshire. Each pub has been chosen not just for pouring a flawless Guinness, but for offering a warm welcome, great service, a buzzing atmosphere, and a genuine love of the stout.
Every pub selected will now receive an official brass Guinness harp plaque, marking them as one of the best places in the UK to enjoy a perfect pint of the black stuff. The Free Press pub in Cambridge is one of those that has received the accolade.
The Free Press is a traditional backstreet pub within walking distance of the heart of Cambridge. First opened in 1834, the Free Press has an extensive history.
The pub was originally a cottage owned by Sarah Horne, who started to make and sell her own home brew. Just as her business began, the teetotal movement decided to publish their own paper called “the Free Press” to campaign against drinking. In response, Sarah gave her pub the same name as the paper.
The Free Press now prides itself on maintaining its historical ties with artefacts being dotted around the pub. The handpumps have been an integral part of the pub since the 1940s and the bow of the Cambridge boat destroyed in the 1984 boat race hangs above the main bar.
Visitors are encouraged to leave keepsakes in the pub to become a part of the building’s rich history. The Free Press is quite small, giving the pub a cosy feel with some outdoor seating available in case the sun decides to come out.
The Free Press is on Prospect Row, only an 11 minute walk from Cambridge City Centre. The pub is open from 12pm to 11pm Tuesday to Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on Sundays.
Guinness says the guide was created to spotlight the pubs that represent the best of British pub culture – the places steeped in decades of stories, tiled ceilings, slanted bars worn down by dancing, steamed-up windows from a full room, and the characters that keep people coming back night after night.
Full list of pubs that sell the best Guinness
London
The Devonshire, The Coach & Horses, Bricklayers Arms, The Auld Shillelagh, Skehans Freehouse, The Audley Public House, The Toucan, Mc & Sons, The Fox & Pheasant.
North West
Mulligans, Manchester, Kennedy’s, Didsbury, The Station, Didsbury, Pogue Mahone, Liverpool, The Monro, Liverpool, Shenanigans, Liverpool.
Scotland
Malones, Edinburgh, Kitty O’Sheas, Glasgow, Jinty McGuintys, Glasgow.
Rest of England and Wales:
The Beckford Arms, Salisbury, The Star, Bristol, Queens Vaults, Cardiff, Free Press, Cambridge, The Fat Cat, Norwich, The Boot, St Albans, The Centurion, Newcastle, Barluga, Newcastle, Sheepfolds, Sunderland, The Fiddlers Elbow, Brighton, The Lion & Lobster, Brighton, Whitelocks Ale House, Leeds, Dog & Partridge, Sheffield, The Grapes, Sheffield, Hearsall Inn, Coventry, The Guinness Arms, Bury St Edmunds, Elvenden Inn, Thetford.
About 803 million pints of Guinness are sold in the UK each year, based on a daily consumption rate of approximately 2.2 million pints. Great Britain is Guinness’s single biggest market globally.
The famous Irish stout now accounts for one in every nine pints pulled in the the UK. More than 10 million glasses of Guinness stout are enjoyed every single day around the world. It is one of the best-selling and most widely recognised beers in the world.
