"Ellie and the team all do a fabulous job": Family-run village pub wins Rugby CAMRA title
Celebrations are taking place after the Rugby branch of the Campaign for Real Ale announced its favourite country pub.
The White Horse in Welton is the Rugby CAMRA Country Pub of the Year winner for 2026.
Richard Potter, branch chairman, said: “It really is a deserved winner of this year’s award.
"As a branch we only make two awards a year and the Country Pub of the Year award is specifically for village pubs in the Rugby area.
"The White Horse is a classic thatched village pub, with multiple rooms including a snug bar, a tiny front bar, a lounge and dining room. It also has a partly covered patio and garden at the rear of the pub, both ideal for a summer pint.”
He paid tribute to the landlady Ellie and the Ponder family who own the pub.
"They do a fabulous job in maintaining a great range of real ales,” Richard added.
"In a couple of weeks time they will be hosting the Welton Soapbox Derby, where they run six bars at the pub and throughout the village.”
The pub, in HIgh Street, also has live entertainment events, quiz nights on every second Sunday at 7.30pm and a book club.
Guests also celebrate the good food. Award-winning chef Danny Tompkins, a former winner of the Chef of the Year Awards, has lauched 'Rico Tapas' giving customers a taste of his mouth-watering menu of tapas-style dishes mainly from the Mediterranean and around the world.
To find out more about Rugby CAMRA’s pub guide, visit https://rugby.camra.org.uk/pubguide