"If it's good for Beckham it's good for us": The Royal Albert pub in Southsea joins forces with Sophie's Pie, Mash and Liquor
Pies and pints are the topic of conversation at a beloved boozer which has recently reopened under new management following its “unfortunate closure” last summer.
The Royal Albert, in Albert Road, officially welcomed customers back through its doors on February 15 after a six-month hiatus following its closure last July.
The popular boozer, which is part of the Stonegate Group, is now being managed by returning landlady Kelly Rainey, who previously ran the pub a few years back.
She said: “I had this pub three years ago and had it for seven years before that. I’m really happy to be back, I absolutely love it and love Albert Road.
“We are looking forward to reviving the road and bringing something back. It’s so sad when you see pubs with their shutters closed especially this pub which means everything to me and is sentimental to us.”
As well as new management at the helm, the pub has also welcomed a fresh food offering courtesy of Sophie’s Pie, Mash and Liquor, which was founded in 2022 by Sophie Costas.
“I started the pie and mash at the Beachlands and then I expanded it to the Maypole Pub, now we’ve brought it over to Portsmouth. It’s London style pie, mash and liquor,” Sophie explained.
She added: “We get our pies from Tony’s Pie and Mash in Waltham Abbey who actually supplies David Beckham as well, so if it’s good for Beckham, it’s good for us.
“It’s been great with the pie and mash, we’ve had lots of support and going forward, we want to push it a bit more, get it busier.”
The community pub has already got a list of weekly events taking place including karaoke, quiz nights and Sunday roasts, which have already proved a hit with punters.
Kelly added: “We’ve had really great support from everybody - we can’t wait for the summer, we’ve got a fantastic garden and some brilliant DJ’s lined up as well.
“We are really looking forward to the future.”