London pub donates Valentine’s Day takings of almost £10,000 to charity

The Drapers Arms, Islington, north London, took just under £10,000 on the day, which owner Nick Gibson gave to charity group Refuge, which works to help victims of domestic violence across the country.

Gibson explained: "One day, I was sitting there thinking that if I was a woman I would feel under assault by the war on my sex in so many different ways and I think that they show so much forgiveness and love for men in the face of all that provocation."

Hypocritical ​

"It's incredibly hypocritical of us to announce our love so vocally on one day of the year with flowers and chocolates and all that when the rest of the time they're treated pretty awfully."  

This is the fourth year that the Drapers Arms' Valentine's Day takings have been donated to Refuge.

Gibson added: "Things like this are really attempts to not just talk the talk but walk the walk. It's all very well saying 'oh, we're a community pub' and 'the pub is the hub' and so on, but what do we actually do for other people?

"This is an attempt to put flesh on the bones of that and maybe take care of people who suffer at the hands of people who are supposed to love them."

You can read Nick Gibson’s blog on Valentine’s Day here​​

Glandstonebury​

Earlier this year, the Drapers Arms hosted its third annual Glandstonebury​ dinner, which saw top chefs from across the capital converge on the pub to produce a 10-course, nose-to-tail-style menu.

Contributing chefs included the Drapers Arms' own Gina Hopkins and Neil Rankin of Smokehouse, also in Islington.