By Ben Jackson and Bryony Clarke
A pub in Newington Green held its grand opening on Thursday evening after a petition launched to save it from redevelopment collected over 1,400 signatures.
Regulars set up the petition to save the Alma pub on Newington Green Road because they feared the local joint would be sold to a developer and made into luxury flats.
Revellers gather to celebrate the reopening of the popular Alma pub
From 8pm, crowds spilled onto the pavement as the pub held a night of live music, free food and craft beer. The pub opened with a new management team, a film-themed décor, and new lines of locally sourced food and drink.
The pub’s manager, 25-year-old James Noake, explained: “There have been a lot of changes. I’m at the helm now and this feels like the time we’re ready to show off.”
Asked about the Alma’s enduring popularity, Mr Noake said: “This has always been a pub that just feels like your living room. The pub has an amazing array of live music and a fantastic reputation for food. I think this is the only place where you can get a Scotch egg and a lobster.”
“@maggyvaneijk: So excited for @TheAlma_N1's grand opening tonight. pic.twitter.com/zgYjh2sdKS”
— The Al??a Islington™ (@TheAlma_N1) October 2, 2014
Pub regular Dominique Humphrys, 36, agrees. “Lots of locals come here. It has a really good mix of people – old and young. It feels homely and personalised.”
It was 62-year-old Kay Devenney’s first visit to the Alma, but she is confident she will be coming back. “This is the kind of pub I like. It’s cosy, it’s intimate, it’s friendly. I think it’s absolutely smashing!”
The pub was closed between November and December last year after a dispute between pub-owning company Enterprise Inns and the former manager, Kirsty Valentine.
But an exhaustive campaign, led by Ms Valentine and backed by Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn, secured the pub’s future as a community meeting place. The pub was awarded Asset of Community Value status by Islington council in December 2013.
Thank you 🙂