Antwerp Arms, London
Tottenham pub, the Antwerp Arms, takes centre stage in a new documentary film trilogy celebrating community owned pubs
CAMRA has released the first episode of its new three-part community pubs documentary series, celebrating people who have banded together to save their much-loved locals.
The opening episode stars Tottenham’s longest established working pub, the Antwerp Arms. Facing demolition in 2013, the local community and CAMRA campaigners saved the Antwerp Arms to become North London’s first community owned pub in 2015.
After a decade of community ownership, the episode highlights the challenges and complexities faced by the local campaigning group, shedding a light on the process of buying and running a community pub.
Partnering with Plunkett UK, the film features on CAMRA’s educational Learn and Discover platform. This brand-new series was produced and filmed by Katie Greenhalf, This Film and Rachel Auty, Cameron Rae Consultancy and founder of Women On Tap CIC.
The first episode is available to watch on Learn and Discover here.
The films are being published as the Government is introducing new laws to give communities in England a legal ‘Right to Buy’ community assets including their local pub.
Gary Timmins, CAMRA Pub and Club Campaigns Director said:
“Whether it’s a busy high street or a small village, when a pub closes, the community loses its beating heart. Campaigners who fight to save their locals deserve recognition. Our three-part film series is a great way to share these stories and celebrate volunteers across the UK. We want this documentary to encourage people to see community ownership as an option for saving their own local.
“Released as Parliament is debating new laws giving people a new ‘Right to Buy’ community assets including pubs, these heartfelt films are a timely reminder that government needs to step up and give funding to community groups looking to take on ownership of their local pub when it is under threat of closure or conversion."
Rachel Auty, Cameron Rae Consultancy Ltd and Women On Tap CIC added:
"I loved meeting the committees, teams and locals at each of the three community pubs. It's been a real honour. Hearing their stories and learning more about their communities has been brilliant, and I've been overwhelmed by the passion, tenacity, care and skill I've witnessed in all of our conversations.
“I've always believed that pubs are an essential part of society, and now more than ever we need these local places of togetherness and belonging. These films reflect that.”
End
Notes to editors
The first episode is here.
A screening of the first episode will be hosted at the Antwerp Arms on Tuesday 11 November.
Episode two is released Friday 21 November and the third instalment is released Friday 5 December.
Photos of the Antwerp Arms are here.
Excerpts from the film in reel form are here.
Photos of Rachel and Katie filming the series are here.
CAMRA has guides and resources about saving your local pub, including community ownership, here.
Find out more about community pubs here.
About the Antwerp Arms
Tottenham’s longest established working pub, serving the local community since 1822. This Georgian era building was threatened with demolition by developers and risked being turned into flats before it was saved by 300 members of its local community and CAMRA campaigners to become North London’s first community owned pub, reopening in 2015. This year, the pub has celebrated a decade of community ownership, winning multiple local CAMRA Pub of the Year awards.
For the past nine years, the pub has been supporting its community with its Community Lunch Programme, feeding over 100 people a week. Run entirely by volunteers and supported by food donations from the Felix Project and Fairfax Meadow Butchers, the community kitchen serves a free lunch to anyone in need of a hot meal and company. The Antwerp Arms Association also provides funding, training and equipment to keep the kitchen running smoothly.
About Learn and Discover
Learn and Discover is CAMRA’s award-winning educational platform, home to a large library of guides, articles, videos and audio material from esteemed writers, educators and industry experts, exploring everything there is to know about pubs, social clubs, beer, cider and perry.
About Plunkett UK
Plunkett UK is a charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses, including pubs, in community ownership. Plunkett UK represents over 800 trading community-owned businesses and a further 800 in the process of setting up, from shops and pubs through to woodlands, farms and fisheries. More information is here.
About the film makers
Rachel Auty, Cameron Rae Consultancy Ltd and Women On Tap CIC
Rachel is a marketing and communications consultant, an award-winning beer writer, and a CAMRA member. She is the founder of Women On Tap CIC, former Head of Marketing at Brew York, and serves as a director on the board of the British Guild of Beer Writers. With over a decade of experience working on projects centred around pubs and beer, Rachel has made significant contributions to the field.
Katie Greenhalf, filmmaker, editor and creative producer
Katie Greenhalf is a Yorkshire based filmmaker with over 15 years of experience crafting compelling short documentaries and corporate films. As the founder of her own production company, she specialises in character-led storytelling that highlights the richness of real people, places and communities.
