A few pints will be raised and sunk this weekend at Marden Village Club, which has been named CAMRA's national club of the year.

The club in Albion Road, Marden, was officially announced as this year's winner by the Campaign for Real Ale today, and a presentation ceremony will take place at midday tomorrow.

Last year the club, near Maidstone, was included on a shortlist whittled down to four alongside the Cheltenham Motor Club in Cheltenham, the Dobcross Band Social Club in Greater Manchester and Barnton Cricket Club in Merseyside-Cheshire.

But now it's officially been crowned the best in the country after a vote from CAMRA members.

National club of the year co-ordinator Phil Greggs said: “All of these clubs should be very proud of themselves for reaching this stage in the competition.

"It is a huge honour to be considered one of the top four clubs across the country.

"While each of these clubs offers something unique to their visitors, they all share the foundation of what makes a great club – a warm and welcoming atmosphere, excellent service and a fantastic range of beers.”

Simon Banfield, Marden Village Club Steward said: “We are really thrilled to have won this year. To have made it into the top four clubs nationally of what is a really strong competition was a real honour and a great achievement, but to go on and win, receiving recognition from CAMRA for the work that we do here for our members, is fantastic.

"It really is a big team effort, with a huge thanks to the proactive committee that organises our regular entertainment and live music events, as well as undertake an incredible amount of fundraising for our chosen charities. A huge thank you as well to our amazing bar team who work really hard to provide a friendly warm welcome alongside great service, and also to our cleaner who keeps the club clean and tidy. As a large part of the award is about great real ales, we must thank all of our suppliers who provide us with some fantastic products and service.

“Lastly the biggest thanks of all goes to our members who come out and support us in what we do, and in turn provide a great atmosphere making the club a fantastic place to be in.”

Regularly voted Maidstone CAMRA branch Club of the Year, Marden's club was completely renovated in 2017 to produce a light, airy, and friendly atmosphere.

It now boasts wooden and carpeted floored areas, sofas and comfy chairs, local artwork and new windows giving it a light and airy feel.

The club was founded in 1907 and the old school rooms were used for social evenings which in the past included the playing of billiards and bagatelle.

After the First World War the use of the school rooms became uncomfortable, and the club moved to its current premises in 1921.

It was also around this time that the club became known as Marden Working Men’s Club, and remained so until its centenary in 2007.

The grade-II listed community hub offers six real ales, and gets bonus points from CAMRA members by always offering a dark beer option.

Many members are involved in the club’s snooker and darts teams; others simply enjoy the friendly ambiance and watch live football and rugby on the sports TV.

“The biggest thanks of all goes to our members who come out and support us in what we do, and in turn provide a great atmosphere making the club a fantastic place to be in.”

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is a not-for-profit consumer group with over 160,000 members, operating since 1971 with an aim to "have quality real ale and thriving pubs in every community".

The latest edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide was recently published, with 28 Kent pubs making the list for the first time.

In total the beer lovers' bible contains 146 Kent pubs.

The Marden Village Club is among those featured alongside other popular local watering holes such as the Cellars Alehouse, Flower Pot, Olde Thirsty Pig, and Rifle Volunteers.