Message from Chair - AAA Annual Report 2025

Season’s greetings and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our members, volunteers, regulars and supporters.

We are pleased to share this annual report with our shareholders and wider stakeholders. While some of you were able to join us at the Annual General Meeting on 22 October, we know that not everyone could attend or read the papers issued at the time. This report therefore brings together a clear summary of the Association’s activities during 2025, our financial position, our work in and with the community, and some important updates since the AGM.

Above all, it reflects another year of steady progress for the Antwerp Arms Association (AAA): strengthening the pub as a viable business, deepening its role as a community hub, and laying foundations for the future.

Committee Members 2025–2026

• Jeannie McTavish – Chair

• Cynthia Broodie – Vice Chair

• Nick Allaway – Treasurer

• Shani Kara – Secretary

• Martin Laheen

• Chris Fleetwood

• Jacquie Hibbert

• Geraldine Wright

• Asher Jacobsberg

At the AGM in October, Salma and Michael stood down from the committee. We would like to thank them both sincerely for their time, commitment and contribution. Asher Jacobsberg and Geraldine Wright were elected to the committee, and we warmly welcome them.

There are ongoing opportunities for new members to join the committee through co-option. If you are interested in getting more involved, please contact the Secretary – we would love to hear from you, particularly from younger members of our community as we plan for succession and continuity.

Annual Activities and Achievements

1. Investment in the Pub Premises

During 2025, AAA continued to invest in improving the Antwerp Arms, both to support our tenants and to ensure the pub remains welcoming, resilient and sustainable.

Key improvements included:

• Installation of 10 solar panels with battery storage, supported by funding from the Haringey Carbon Fund. These became operational in mid-2025 and are expected to reduce electricity costs by around 10%.

• Kitchen upgrades, including repairs and new equipment such as a dishwasher, ice machine and larder fridge, alongside essential plumbing and heating works.

• New and upgraded audio-visual equipment, including a large screen to support events and community use.

• Touch-up repainting ahead of a full internal repaint planned for 2026.

• The rear garden, which has benefited from a covered area since 2021, continues to enhance the pub for customers and community events. Further improvements are planned for 2026.

2. Supporting the Local Community

Community benefit remains at the heart of everything AAA does, and 2025 was another busy and rewarding year.

Our programme of free and low-cost community events continued most nights of the week, helping to draw people into the pub and build connections:

• Crafting, vinyl and open-mic nights on Tuesdays

• Irish session band on Wednesdays

• Quizzes most Thursdays

• DJs on Fridays

• Live bands on Saturdays

We also celebrated the pub’s 10th birthday in June 2025, marked by a fantastic party that was captured in a short film: [link].

Food poverty support remained a major focus. Over the year we ran around 45 free lunch sessions, typically serving around 70 people each Tuesday, using surplus food from the Felix Project and donated meats. In total, we estimate that around 3,500 free hot meals were cooked and shared.

Additional community support included:

• £2,250 of Aldi vouchers donated to local primary schools ahead of Christmas

• $810 raised at a fundraising quiz in response to the Jamaican hurricane appeal, reflecting the strong links between the pub and the Jamaican and wider Caribbean community

• Support for the Bruce Castle Historic Quarter, including funding the Heritage Trail map and providing a band for the Bruce Castle Park Age Well Festival

We are also proud to remain the only pub in N17 listed in the CAMRA 2025 Good Beer Guide, continuing to champion real ale. A successful real ale festival was held in spring 2025, with plans to repeat it in 2026.

Finally, we restored the pub’s historic delivery bike, which had been chained outside for four years following its use during the Covid period to deliver free food – a small but meaningful piece of AAA’s recent history.

Tenant Engagement

AAA continues to work closely with our tenants, Andy and Sam from Redemption Pub Co, to support the long-term sustainability and success of the pub. Regular communication and constructive feedback have helped identify opportunities for improvement while maintaining a shared commitment to serving the local community.

Financial Overview

Accounts and Financial Position

The Association’s financial position improved during 2025, with a modest surplus of £14,000, following two consecutive years of losses (£2,000 and £24,000 respectively).

Key highlights include:

• The main loan reduced to £6,000

• The air-conditioning loan fully paid off, strengthening the balance sheet

• Accounts for 2024/25 filed with the FCA in November 2025

Drinks sales increased by 10–15% year-on-year, although food sales remain below expectations and are an area we are actively seeking to improve.

For the first time since 2019, members agreed at the AGM to pay a 2.5% dividend on shares. Around 26% of members chose to take the payout, while many others generously asked for their dividend to be reinvested into community work. Members also approved a limited share buy-back of up to £2,500 over the coming year.

Encouragingly, we welcomed at least a dozen new shareholders during 2025. We are keen to build on this momentum, particularly among younger members of the community.

Outdoor Seating Consultation

One of the major disappointments of the year was Haringey Council’s request in June 2025 to remove the outdoor seating located outside the park boundary fence.

These picnic tables, with integral benches and umbrellas, had been in place since 2021 under the Business and Planning Act 2020, following a consultation in which approximately 93% of respondents supported the proposal. The arrangement proved popular, especially with families during the summer, and no complaints were received by AAA.

In response, friends of the pub organised a petition which gathered over 1,300 signatures calling for the seating to be reinstated.

AAA now plans to apply formally for a licence to continue this arrangement, with further resident and local group consultations planned. We remain committed to working collaboratively and addressing any concerns, and we hope to see the benches return after the crocus season in March 2026.

We also continue to urge the local authority to consider reinstating traffic-calming measures outside the pub, noting strong local support.

Looking Ahead

AAA’s business plan for 2026–2027 focuses on:

• Supporting our tenants to ensure the pub remains profitable

• Providing affordable, good-quality food and drink for the local community

• Expanding community events, lunches and activities

• Creating jobs and supporting staff development, while prioritising local suppliers

• Paying off remaining loans and building a £20,000 reserve to protect against future downturns

• Further investment in both the interior and exterior of the pub, strengthening its role as a destination to eat, drink and meet

We recognise the challenges ahead. The pub’s remote location limits passing trade, and getting the food offer right remains a priority. The reopening of the Elmhurst pub in August 2025 following a £500,000 refurbishment also adds competitive pressure. Nevertheless, we believe there is room for both pubs, even in a challenging and shrinking pub sector, and that our strong community focus remains a key strength.

Thanks and Appreciation

AAA continues to invest not just in a building, but in people and place. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of our members, volunteers, pub regulars, local residents, tenants and partners.

In particular, we thank organisations such as the Felix Project and Fairfax Meadow Butchers, along with everyone who gives their time, energy and goodwill to keep the Antwerp Arms thriving.

We look forward with optimism to the year ahead.

Best wishes,

Antwerp Arms Association
Managing Committee
December 2025

American National Football League came to London

We were really pleased to host the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos at our community pub over two consecutive Sundays in October. The pub was super busy and everyone seemed to have a great time. The pub team served many a pint of beer throughout the days and Paco Tako served some delicious game related food.

Sound entertainment in the pub was provided by DJ Lindsey and DJ Terry G. Kit piped fans from the game back to the pub, honouring the teams in true style.

Our volunteers helped with cleaning and raising funds for our Christmas school vouchers appeal. NFL fans were amazingly generous, supporting us to raise over £1000 in donations and T Shirt sales.

Thanks everyone, for making these Sundays unforgettable! See you again next year!

Visit to North Wales Community Pub

Nefyn is a small town on the north coast of the Llyn Peninsula in Wales. In 2016 its only pub The Sportsman closed. This was accompanied by many of the independent shops and three bank branches shutting in the town. Locals decided to fight back and as Covid ended it re-opened as a community pub Yr Heliwr in July 2021.

The town of Nefyn is blessed with lovely beaches stunning coastal scenery and has a library and thriving school. The number 8 bus runs to Pwllheli where the scenic coastal railway can take you back to London in about six hours.

Nick and Michael from the Antwerp Committee decided to visit and stay in the community pub’s rooms whilst walking sections of the coastal footpath walk, known as the Pilgrim’s Way, to Bardsey Island. In medieval times walking this route three times as a pilgrim was equivalent to going on pilgrimage to Rome. The route is incredibly picturesque and dotted with ancient churches where the pilgrims rested up.

Pub refurbishment was thorough and the pub has two main drinking spaces, a large back area where events can take place and a front bar with ample bar stools. There is a wood burner in the front area. The pub has really nice loos and a small but fully functioning kitchen area. The refurbishment costs along with the purchase of the freehold came to over £600,000 with funds being raised by share issue and grants from various sources. As with the Antwerp, work from local artists adorns the wall and they sell a nice range of merchandise featuring the three herrings. These fish are the symbol of Nefyn and reflect its past as a fishing port.

We met members of the Yr Heliwr committee Rhodri, Helen and co to exchange experiences of running a community pub. Yr Heliwr’s financial model is different as the rooms above provide a consistent income from guests so take pressure off the need to maximise sales of drinks and food at the bar. The rooms are comfortable and clean and not too expensive so there is a high occupancy rate.

Like the Antwerp, beers are sourced locally and the local craft brewery in Nefyn, Cwrw Lynn Cwrw Lynn provides some great beers for the pub. We had Porth Neigl IPA and Seithynyn a blond beer. Also on the menu is Nokota from Llandudno a refreshing 3.8% session ale and Geipel (probably our favourite) which was an alpine style lager brewed in Snowdonia. The pub opens slightly earlier than the Antwerp and is a seven day a week affair. There is a happy hour from 4 – 6 which includes a well thought out range of wines and local spirits like Welsh whisky and gins. Ali, the head bar manager, is knowledgeable and friendly and happy to guide you through what’s on offer. He told us his brother was a regular at the Antwerp!

We also share the same issues with Yr Heliwr on food. We both want to provide a food offering but find its challenging. Yr Heliwr’s food offering is made by a local cook and available Thursdays to Saturdays. When we were there, two types of curry, a pizza, a burger, beef stroganoff and a veggy option were available. We both tried a different curry each  and they were great! Food sales have never been enough to justify food offering in the early part of the week. Paninis and other sandwich options are available at lunch times.

Like the Antwerp, there are bands booked at weekends which aim to promote bands performing in Welsh. There is a folk night on Wednesdays and craft activities on Tuesdays. The fabric-hanging below was made by local children.

The pub doesn’t provide a free community meal to locals in need, but runs other community events to improve health and well-being and combat loneliness.

All in all Yr Heliwr is a great example of how community action can bring a valued local back to life. With its dual stream income from the pub and rooms, plus the solid community support we saw, it seems to have an assured future. We’d recommend it for a short break in a beautiful part of the world.

Tribute to Songwriters

Last week we said farewell to Brian Wilson, the vision behind the Beach Boys. This week it’s Paul McCartney day on 18 June as the greatest living genius turns 83.

So for vinyl night this week we're going to play (amonsgst other stuff) the Beach Boys masterwork Pet Sounds from 1966. The Beatles were said to be blown away by this album and it inspired them in 1967 to release Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

We'll play both albums in full on our vinyl deck

In the Rolling Stone list of best albums of all time Pet Sounds regularly comes second to Sgt Peppers.

But judge for yourself which album is better at the Antwerp on Tuesday from 7.30.