The Thomas Becket Pub

30/10/2026

🍻 History, quality and community spirit all under one roof.

A huge congratulations to The Sportsman Inn in Carlisle on being crowned City Pub of the Year by Solway CAMRA.

For centuries, The Sportsman has been at the heart of Carlisle's pub scene, and today it continues to set the standard. From perfectly kept cask ales and delicious home-cooked food to the warm welcome that greets every customer, the team consistently delivers the kind of experience that keeps people coming back.

Its reputation speaks for itself. Alongside previous honours such as Winter Pub of the Season, The Sportsman has earned regular recognition in the CAMRA Good B**r Guide and remains one of the city's most loved traditional pubs.

This latest award celebrates the passion, hard work and dedication of the entire team, who continue to preserve the pub's rich heritage while making it a thriving destination for b**r lovers and the local community alike.

👏 Congratulations to our Publican, Amanda Picken, and everyone at The Sportsman Inn on another fantastic achievement.

29/10/2026

🍺 FOUR ALES. FOUR STORIES. ONE VERY GOOD REASON TO POP IN. 🍺

At the Thomas Becket, we’re proud to be pouring a selection of ales from local Kent brewery Wantsum Brewery. Whether you fancy something fruity, something crisp, or a pint with a little history behind it, we’ve got you covered.

And here's the best bit… ALL FOUR ARE GLUTEN FREE! 🍻

🐺 RAVENING WOLF
A New Zealand IPA bursting with fruity, citrusy character, thanks to Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops. But there's more to this wolf than meets the eye. Its name comes from the nickname given to Odo, Earl of Kent and half-brother of William the Conqueror, who was tried for defrauding the Crown. Medieval scandal with a modern, hoppy twist!

⚡ DYNAMO
Crisp, light and refreshing, with delicate hops delivering a beautifully balanced, fruity and floral flavour and aroma. Named after Operation Dynamo, the extraordinary Second World War evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, coordinated by Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay and his team at Dover Castle. A pint with a remarkable piece of Kent's history behind it.

🌟 BONNY'S GOLD
A golden ale with a name that promises a little sunshine in your glass. Fancy discovering your next favourite? Come in and give it a try!

🎭 SHENANIGANS
Because not every great pub story needs to be serious! If you're in the mood for a Stout and a bit of mischief, Shenanigans is waiting for you.

📍 Find us at the Thomas Becket, 21 Best Lane, Canterbury.

Four Wantsum ales, all gluten free, and a little taste of Kent in every pint.

Whether you're a local, a student, or exploring Canterbury's historic streets, why not make us your next stop?

Good b**r. Great history. Proper pub atmosphere. 🍺

**r **r

28/10/2026

27/10/2026

WOW 🔥

This has been such an honour to be a part of!

Huge thanks to Coca-Cola for championing community leaders around the UK and for picking our very own Simon Dafforn-jones as Local Royalty!

It was a privilege to have portrait artist to royalty, Jamie Coreth, capture Simon in his natural habitat, the FBI.

Read more here 👇🏼

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pub-landlord-given-royal-treatment-37812329

27/10/2026

Feeling a bit peckish this lunchtime? Join us at the Thomas Becket and warm up by our lovely roaring fire.
We've got a brilliant Lunch Promo running from Monday to Thursday. It’s a great way to get a solid meal and a refreshing drink without breaking the bank. For just £13, you can choose from a range of our classic pub grub and a selection of popular drinks.
On the menu, you'll find favourites like our proper, b**r-battered fish and chips, which we serve with a lovely, fresh side of minted mushy peas and a pot of our homemade tartare sauce. If you're in the mood for a sandwich, we’ve got options, too, including our hearty proper club sandwich or perhaps a Croque Monsieur if you're feeling a bit more French.
For your drink, you can't go wrong with a crisp pint of Amstel l***r, or we have a range of alternative pints and, of course, soft drinks to suit. It's a proper pub lunch, served right here in our historic, cozy environment.
It’s the perfect mid-week treat, so come and settle in for a while and enjoy a great value meal with us. We'll be here, keeping the fire going for you.
**rBatteredFishAndChips

27/10/2026

The ultimate game of deception is coming to an end, and you won’t want to miss a single minute of the drama! 🗡️👀
Join us at The Thomas Becket this Friday at 8:00 PM as we watch the extended 80-minute finale of The Celebrity Traitors live on the big screen. Will the Faithfuls banish the remaining Traitors, or will the Traitors take it all? Grab a drink, settle in, and let's find out together! 🍻✨

27/10/2026

🎸🎶 LIVE MUSIC AT THE THOMAS BECKET! 🎶🎸

Canterbury, we’ve got your soundtrack sorted! 🍻

We’re bringing live music, great tunes and proper pub atmosphere to the Thomas Becket with two fantastic performers coming up!

🎤 EDDIE ANSELL 7 November
Join us for an evening of live music with Eddie Ansell. Great tunes, good company and the perfect excuse to get yourself down the pub!

🎸 LOUIS HANNAFORD 14 November
Get ready for Louis Hannaford, bringing his rockabilly sound and vintage vibes to the Becket. If you love your music with a bit of character, this one’s for you!

🍺 Cold pints. Live music. Good people. No better way to spend an evening.

📍 The Thomas Becket, 21 Best Lane, Canterbury
🎶 Live music, proper pub atmosphere and a warm welcome await!

Round up your mates, grab a drink and join us for some cracking live music in the heart of Canterbury. See you at the bar! 🍻

**rGoodMusic

27/10/2026

🎃🔪 THE THOMAS BECKET PRESENTS: HALLOWEEN 🔪🎃

🩸 SATURDAY THE 31ST 🩸

Trick or treat… you’re in for a scare!

This Halloween, the horror comes home to the Thomas Becket. Expect a night of spooky shenanigans, sinister surprises, devilish drinks and enough atmosphere to make Michael Myers check the locks. 👻

Starring our very own nightmare-inducing cast:

🐾 Elvis — The Hound of Horror
🔪 Drexel B Lovegood — The Man Behind the Madness
💀 Kieran Pryce — The Phantom of the Pub

🎬 Directed by Joely Mortimer

Forget Hollywood. The real horror is happening right here in Canterbury.

Gather your ghouls, summon your mates and join us for Halloween at the Becket.

One night. One pub. Absolutely no guarantees of survival. 😉

📍 The Thomas Becket, Canterbury

20/10/2026

At Punch, we're proud to see young talent thrive across our pubs and support teams. From first jobs to leadership roles, remains one of the UK's greatest industries for developing skills, building confidence and creating rewarding careers.

That's why we're backing a hospitality-wide call to Government ahead of the Budget, championing the sector's ability to create jobs and opportunities for young people.

Hear Harry Bourne's story and why he's proud to support this message.

07/10/2026

Britain’s pubs are worth up to £30 billion in wellbeing value to communities across the UK. But rising costs and high taxes are putting pressure on pubs that bring people together.

This Week of Action, join the campaign today and tell your MP to keep pubs open and pints affordable.

https://www.longlivethelocal.pub/letter 🍍

01/10/2026

Some birthdays are about the cake, the drinks and the celebrations. Others remind you just how lucky you are. ❤️

This photograph is very much the latter.

Of everyone pictured, all but two are relatively new friends, yet somehow, somewhere along the way, they’ve become something much more. Family.

They chose to spend my birthday with me, at the Thomas Becket, dressed to the nines, looking absolutely incredible, and making an already special day one I won’t forget in a hurry.

And right there, stealing the hearts of everyone, was little Tally. ❤️

I’m genuinely honoured to know her and her wonderful mum, Susanna. Some people come into your life and remind you that the most meaningful connections aren’t measured in years, but in the warmth, laughter and love they bring.

Running pubs has taught me that it’s never really just about the b**r, the food, the takings or the four walls. It’s about the people who walk through the door. The friendships that form over a pint, the laughter that fills a room, the familiar faces that become part of your everyday life, and the moments when you realise that somewhere along the line, your pub has become their pub too.

And perhaps, without even noticing, they’ve become your people.

To Tally & Susanna, Biba, Dominique, Yumyum & Jimjam, Thomas & Gemz, Kieran, Prya, Scott & Lucy, Bill, Mick and Dave the Brave Microwave — thank you.

Thank you for showing up, for making the effort, for dressing up, for the laughter, and above all, for making me feel so incredibly loved.

This is what community looks like to me.

Not customers. Not numbers. Not transactions.

People. Connection. Belonging.

And a whole lot of love.

I might run a pub, but the real privilege is being welcomed into the lives of the people who make it what it is.

My birthday, my pub, my people. My family.

Couldn’t ask for much more. ❤️

01/10/2026

Dry those pathetic, salty tears immediately.
The undisputed savior of your utterly miserable week, the legendary Ben Kelly, is roaring back onto the stage at The Thomas Becket tomorrow. And because God loves us—or at least tolerates us—he’ll be gracing us with his presence every single first Friday of the month until the sun undergoes inevitable gravitational collapse, expands into a fiery red giant, and incinerates this cosmic dumpster fire of a planet into dust.
So please, for the love of everything holy, do not spend another Friday evening lying in the fetal position on your living room floor, weeping quietly into a bowl of lukewarm microwave ramen because you are profoundly boring and nobody loves you. Your cat doesn’t even like you. It’s embarrassing.
Get off your sofa, drag your hollow shell of a body down to The Thomas Becket, and do what any self-respecting human disaster would do: pour absurd amounts of alcohol directly into your face while screaming along to 18th-century sea shanties with a room full of strangers who are also desperately avoiding their life choices.
The details you're legally required to care about:
Where: The Thomas Becket (the only place that understands your pain)
When: Tomorrow night & every first Friday until the literal apocalypse
Why: Because staying home alone is a crime against your own potential
Come drink too much, roar about wooden ships and scurvy, and pretend, just for a few glorious hours, that your life is on track. See you there, you beautiful wrecks.

26/09/2026

😂 COMEDY NIGHT AT THE THOMAS BECKET! 😂

TONIGHT from around 8pm, we’re turning up the laughs and turning down the seriousness!

🎤 Live comedy
🍺 Great ales
🍻 Proper pub atmosphere
😂 Plenty of laughs
📍 Thomas Becket, Canterbury

Round up your mates, grab a pint and settle in for an evening of live comedy in one of Canterbury’s proper old pubs.

8pm-ish start — come early, grab a drink and get yourself comfortable!

See you Saturday… and remember, heckling is optional. Laughing isn’t. 😉🍻

25/09/2026

😂 COMEDY NIGHT AT THE THOMAS BECKET! 😂

This Saturday from around 8pm, we’re turning up the laughs and turning down the seriousness!

🎤 Live comedy
🍺 Great ales
🍻 Proper pub atmosphere
😂 Plenty of laughs
📍 Thomas Becket, Canterbury

Round up your mates, grab a pint and settle in for an evening of live comedy in one of Canterbury’s proper old pubs.

8pm-ish start — come early, grab a drink and get yourself comfortable!

See you Saturday… and remember, heckling is optional. Laughing isn’t. 😉🍻

25/09/2026

Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones filmed 🎥 a promo for her new film, Sense and Sensibility in our Canonbury pub, The Marquess Tavern for Vogue 🥰

The team at Vogue were searching for a shooting location that oozes class, was timeless and in-keeping with the theme of the movie... so where else were they going to film?! 😏

Take a look at the promo - Daisy is in character as Elinor Dashwood throughout!

Sense and Sensibility hits cinemas TODAY! 🎬Why not pop into The Marquess Tavern to wash down your popcorn! 🍿🍷

!

22/09/2026

We're on board, are you?

Join thousands backing Britain's pubs and breweries.

www.longlivethelocal.pub ❤️🍺

21/09/2026

This pub is a gem! 💎

The Wig & Mitre in Lincoln's Cathedral Quarter has reopened following a £100k investment. ⛪

Anne-Marie and Paul Balcomb have taken on the 14th century pub... "We’re thrilled to take control of such an iconic pub and can’t wait to meet all of our wonderful guests" ❤️

📷 Courtesy of Tory McTernan

17/09/2026

Welcome to The Buck Inn 🦌

New Management Partner Adrian McShane-Chapman has taken over the Thornton-le-Dale pub following a whopping £490k investment 🤑

🗨️ “I arrived in the UK 22 years ago from Australia, armed with just a backpack and no real plan... I’ve dipped in and out of hospitality over that time but the fire inside me to run my own pub burned bright.” - Adrian

If you're in Yorkshire, pay Adrian and his team a visit and check out this stunning pub for yourselves. 🤩

15/09/2026

Rory takes the keys to the refurbished Cross Keys pub in Nottingham! 🗝️

Our new Management Partner Rory Calladine has taken the reins at the popular city centre pub following a £100,000 investment.

🗨️"I was instantly drawn to the pub and as soon I discovered it was available in a partnership with Punch, I jumped at the chance." 🍍

Regular guests at The Cross Keys will instantly notice the pub’s traditional feel and special characteristics have been retained throughout but that a complete refresh has taken place. 💫

11/09/2026

We have reopened the Keyworth Tavern following a quarter-of-a-million refurbishment 🔥

The Keyworth pub in Nottingham, run by our Management Partner John Francis, had been closed for 5 weeks while we tore out the bar, stripped the pub back and replaced everything with new, modern furnishings. 🤩

Great work by everyone involved in the transformation 🥂

03/09/2026

We're quite fond of it too, Prime Minister! The Dog House

28/08/2026

Our Publican Beth at The Beeswing Inn 2013 has raised circa £250K for charity 😍 so if you're in the area this weekend, pop in and enjoy the music, food and drink!

Well done Beth!! 🥳

The Beeswing in East Cowton is hosting its 13th ‘Glastonbury’ festival to raise money for end of life care at a nearby hospital.

27/08/2026

Newly married couple Gareth and Jamie Furness have take the over The Bay Horse Inn in Pickering. 🔔

The pub has received a £400,000 investment and Gareth says it has been very well received by locals. 😃

“We are seeing more locals returning to the pub, faces that haven't been seen here for many years and we are seeing them on a regular basis... The refurb has really put The Bay Horse Inn back on the map and firmly at the heart of the Pickering community.” ❤️

Well done to everyone involved in this brilliant transformation 👏