As part of the celebrations for their 50th anniversary, CAMRA’s North London branch decided to hold a Pub of Pubs competition, featuring all of the winners of their Pub of the Year competition since this started in 1993. Members of the branch voted the Pineapple in Kentish Town the winner, followed by the nearby Southampton Arms. Branch chairman Colin Coyne commented, “This award is a celebration of great pubs, all of whom believe they are there to support their community. But in these times with soaring bills and continuing shortages of staff, even the best pubs are up against it. We need to support our pubs more than ever and we hope this award goes a little way to do so by promoting some of the best pubs in London. It’s pleasing that fourteen of sixteen pubs who have won pub of the year awards are still in existence and selling cask beer. It seems appropriate that the winning pub, the Pineapple, was a pub that closed in 2002 and was only saved thanks to a concerted campaign by locals and CAMRA. It even managed to come back after a fire in 2010! It’s a pub that has consistently sold great beer; its first appearance in the Good Beer Guide back in 1980 testifies to this and its warm welcome.”
The Southampton Arms also came back from the brink. Colin added, “Like the Pineapple, the Southampton is a regular entry into CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and is also known for its community approach; it too welcomes everyone. And the pub is a destination for cider drinkers, winning CAMRA’s North London Cider Pub of Year three times. It’s very worthy of its runner’s up place.” Third place went to the Antwerp Arms in Tottenham which is the only community owned pub in North London. The two award winners that we have lost are the Bree Louise in Euston and the Oakdale Tavern in Manor House.