The Leyton Engineer and The European have both won praise for their refurbishments at the Campaign for Real Ale Pub Design Awards, writes Antonia Vlad
Two Waltham Forest pubs, the Leyton Engineer and The European, have been recognised with prestigious awards for their refurbishments at the CAMRA Pub Design Awards 2026, held in conjunction with Historic England.
Established in 1971, the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub Design Awards are an annual event, recognising the highest standards of architecture in the refurbishment and conservation of existing pubs.
The Leyton Engineer, originally built as the Leyton Town Hall in 1895, won the ‘Refurbishment’ category.
Judges were complimentary about how the refurb of the Grade II building was carefully managed, with the “beautiful mosaic and terrazzo floor kept, and the columns, cornices and mouldings restored”.
The refurb also reflected the history of the local area, with a large wall homage to William Morris and a booth with historical underground maps paying tribute to local designer Harry Beck.
The European won the ‘Highly Commended’ award in the same Refurbishment category of the CAMRA Design Awards.
The pub was taken over in 2024 and a refurbishment was undertaken to bring the building back to a traditional local Victorian pub.
Both pubs are owned and managed by Remarkable Pubs, an independent family run company that owns and oversees a total of 17 pubs in North and East London, founded in 1985 by Robert and Jean Thomas.
Reacting to Leyton Engineer’s win, Remarkable Pubs said: “This magnificent Victorian building’s ground floor has undergone an extensive and loving restoration to create The Leyton Engineer, a superb and stunning pub with large seating areas along with more intimate rooms and snugs. Semi-converted by the previous tenants from the old technical college, the grand space had become tired, dilapidated, and uncared for.
“Excited by the interior’s potential and faded grandeur, we saw an opportunity to create something unique and extraordinary for the neighbourhood. It is an honour to learn that all the work that went into the refurbishment has been recognised with such a coveted award.”
And on The European’s award, the pub operator said: “The refurbishment was a challenge but we are pleased that our efforts to create a comfortable drinking and dining establishment complete with new kitchen, bespoke bar and furniture with a picture theme celebrating significant European cultural exchanges from The Renaissance, the invention of the printing press to French modernism and New Wave cinema has been rewarded.”
Remarkable Pubs have also purchased and refurbished The Prince George in Dalston, and continue to restore and reinvent buildings with inspiration taken from the Victorian era.
Earlier this year, Remarkable Pubs’ founder Robert was awarded the John Young Memorial Award by CAMRA London in recognition of his major impact on real ale and pubs within London.
Local news needs your support
We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
ACT NOW!
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
