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