One of north London’s best pubs needs your support to save it from being turned into flats.
The Alma is a much loved pub in Stoke Newington. Open for 150 years, the last decade it’s been in the capable hands of a brilliant landlady, Kirsty Valentine. A Kiwi, I first came into contact with Kirsty when she got in touch about cider, ahead of her now famous, twice-a-year Cider Festivals. A fab conversation ensued, where she outlined her vision, which included also serving food or recipes from wherever the festival tipples hailed.
Not everyone goes to that trouble, but it illustrates why, as award-winning drinks writer Pete Brown so succinctly puts it, Kirsty is regarded as “a force of nature”.
Spotlight on provenance
Sometimes it takes an outsider to realize the value of what is right under our noses. The images you see in this post are from the various festivals The Alma has hosted over the years.
They illustrate how Kirsty goes that extra mile, giving food and drink producers from around the country a stage from which to shine.
And it’s not just from afar. The most recent venture? Collecting money for Newington Green Christmas lights. You can’t get much more local then that.
I only made my first visit a few weeks ago – more fool me – but it was more than worth it. The food is great, the staff are lovely, and Kirsty is an inspiring team captain.
And they had just been voted CAMRA’s North London Cider Pub of the Year – no mean feat when you consider that both the Euston Cider Tap and the wonderful Southampton Arms fall within the same bracket.
So imagine my dismay when I heard that there’s a danger Kirsty’s going to be kicked out, and the pub may be sold for development.
The definition of “fair”
It turns out that all is not rosy between Kirsty and the pub’s owner, Enterprise Inns. You may have heard about the continuous tustle between so-called PubCo’s and their tenants. Every PubCo is different, each has their own business model defining how they “charge” their tenant, but essentially landlords/ladies are “tied”, and have to buy the bulk of their beer, if not all, from their PubCo. There’s a “Dry Rent”, paid annually and reviewed every few years, and a “Wet Rent” – the price tenants pay for their beer from the PubCo, often hugely inflated above the market norm. This means your host isn’t free to set their prices or to select their beers of choice for you, the customer.
Now for perspective, you should know that for their part, PubCos tend to pick up the tab on the fabric of the building. And many have sorted out a decent balance. But several haven’t. For a more erudite, informed explanation, check out Pete Brown’s recent post.
These issues have been debated throughout the industry for years, and are now back on the Parliamentary agenda too. The hope is that a fairer system will result, whereby landlords/ladies are not disadvantaged, they can choose what drinks to serve you, their customer, and that the whole system can be put on a more sustainable footing.
But that’s not going to help Kirsty and The Alma.
So Kirsty has decided to request Islington Council to recognise The Alma as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act. This may seem rather nebulous, but has the potential to carry great weight. The pub couldn’t be sold for non-pub uses without the knowledge of the pub’s management or customers, and the community has the right to put in a bid to buy if the pub is put up for sale.
Time for action
So if you want to help rescue The Alma, support the ACV application by signing the petition here. But hurry – they have just a week.
If you are one of the producers who Kirsty has championed, now it’s your chance to help her out.
If you value an independent approach from a dedicated flavournaut, sign up and encourage your friends.
And if you live locally, contact your local MP or councilor – contacts are on the Campaign website.
We owe it to Kirsty to help her keep her gem of a pub just that: a public house.