From a chequered past, the Robin Ale & Cider House, in Stroud Green, has gone from strength to strength in just one year to win CAMRA North London’s much sought after Pub of the Season.

Robin Ale & Cider House - POTS Autumn 2024

Colin Coyne, Chair of North London CAMRA explained the history: “The building has had many guises, including a post office. It became a pub in 1983 and had various names until it was named the Brave Sir Robin in 2017 after the name of a knight in the film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It closed six years later and there were fears as to the pub’s future. So we were delighted when Four Acres Taverns Ltd opened the pub in autumn 2023. And we think it was nice that they made reference to the great work that the previous owners had done by keeping the name of ‘Robin’ but adding in Ale & Cider House. This really does reflect what this pub is all about so we are delighted to award them the Pub of the Autumn Season 2024”.

It is a small corner pub made cosy by soft globe lighting and candles with a mix of seating, from booths to sofas, which offer a warm welcome to all, including dogs! The Robin has 10 keg lines, up to 4 cider lines and up to 6 changing cask beers from independent UK breweries including a stout or a mild. It is probably no surprise that the Robin prides itself on keeping good beer. Nick Bailey, the Manager of the Robin, was previously at Southampton Arms, which has won CAMRA’s North London Pub of the Year, twice and their Cider Pub of the Year, five times!

The award was handed over by Colin to Nick.

For further details contact: Colin Coyne (CAMRA), ku.gro.armac.nodnolhtron@namriahc. Or the Robin: (020) 7018 3830

Extra facts

• CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale and is a volunteer membership organisation with over 200 volunteer branches across the UK and over 140,000 members.
• CAMRA nationally was formed in 1971. It exists to promote good beer, protect pubs and defend consumer rights.
• The North London branch of CAMRA covers most of the North London postcodes plus WC1 and parts of WC2, and has almost 700 pubs in it.
• The building that hosts the pub has gone through various usages. At one time, it was a Post Office and, in the 1930’s, a grocery shop. It finally became a pub in 1983 and was an early conversion by JD Wetherspoon when it was known as Marler’s Bar. Since then, it had numerous names including Hopsmiths, when it was run by the now closed London brewery, Late Knights. But that wasn’t the only closed brewery to own the pub; Tolly Cobbold of Ipswich purchased it from JD Wetherspoon when they departed in the late 1980’s.
• The full address of of the Robin Ale & Cider House is 29 Crouch Hill, Stroud Green, London, N4 4AP.
• Opening hours are currently Monday to Thursday: noon to 11pm; Friday and Saturday; noon -midnight; Sunday noon to 10.30pm.
• For more details on the pub, visit: www.therobinlondon.com/