Raise a glass for famous five in Good Beer Guide

If that's always bothered you, this year's guide could be a welcome surprise. The regulars are back, but The Gun in Coldharbour and The George in Crossharbour have also made the cut. With Greenwich's popular Richard I also retaining its listing, that makes five critically-acclaimed pubs in close proximity to the Wharf.

Camra spokesman Jon Howard said: "In the last year, Camra has seen a massive leap in people trying real ale for the first time.

"There are now around 700 breweries in the country, resurrecting beers such as milds. Pubs are being more daring, and consumers are receptive to that."

The two new entrants both boast hundreds of years of history, but very different set-ups. The George is a former dockers pub dating from 1864, which features darts and a conservatory. The Gun is a Grade II listed riverside tavern and former haunt of Lord Nelson but has become a well-known gastropub.

The George's landlord Pat Burns said the pub's beers were "carefully and lovingly selected", often with suggestions from customers.

He said: "When you do real ale and good wines, the customers perceive that as a good pub. Our lunchtime clientele tend to be interested in the ales, and they go well with the traditional home cooking."

The Gun's manager Ross Holdsworth said: "We're seen as a gastropub, but that's only half of what we do. The beer is something that gets constant attention from the moment they arrive on the delivery truck, and there are daily morning tastings to make sure they're still fresh.

"There are a lot of people who use the guide to tour pubs around the country, so it should boost business."

Last year, The Grapes in Narrow Street was mistakenly omitted due to an administrative error. Otherwise, it has established a reputation as an ever-present in the UK beer bible.

Ales are kept in an old-fashioned beer cellar, with low ceilings of up to four foot six inches.

Landlady Barbara Haigh said: "The real ale drinkers in the pub get to pick our guest beer from a list of contestants, and I'll try to get hold of any special requests if I can.

"Anybody who serves real ale has to look after it in the traditional manner. You can't do short cuts and you can't do it any other way. It's been going like this for hundreds of years, and if it ain't broke you don't fix it."

Royal Hill's Richard I is the only Greenwich pub in the guide. Manager Diane Radbron sells a mix of Wells and Young's beers, and changes beers every three months.

She said: "We've always done really well here on ales because it's the only Young's pub in the area and we've had a good following. I always make sure the pipes are cleaned every time the beer goes. We get quite a lot of people who say they've seen us in the guide and decided to visit. Plus we've got customers who have been coming here for 40 or 50 years."

The Good Beer Guide is available now from the Camra website