The City of London Corporation has sparked outrage by selecting Daisy Green, an Australian-inspired restaurant group, to replace independent operators running four beloved Hampstead Heath cafes. Current operators received notice on Friday that they must vacate by the end of January, paving the way for the corporate takeover in spring 2026.
The decision affects cafes at Queen's Park, Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Lido, and Parliament Hill Fields. Emma Fernandez and Patrick Matthews, who have run Parliament Hill Lido Cafe for 10 years, alongside two other cafes, employ around 50 staff during summer and 30 in winter. The D'Auria family has operated the Italian cafe at Parliament Hill Fields for 45 years.
Fernandez said she was "devastated" by the decision. "We created a real community hub. The City of London Corporation are just destroying this fabric which is holding together the community," she explained. The mother of two voiced uncertainty about her future: "Honestly, I have no idea what I'm going to do. It's the one thing that I love to do, that I know how to do, and I feel so rooted here."
Family and staff impact
The takeover has shattered Fernandez's children, aged 11 and nine, who grew up in the cafes. "They were born here, they were brought up here. It's like a family here, they know the customers, they know the (lido) staff," she said. "When I ask them what they want to do later in life, they always say 'I want to work at the lido with you'. Now it's all shattered."
Matthews called the decision a denial of "natural justice." "We took it from nothing, and we made something that wasn't there beforehand," he said. "We feel that we've created something and now someone else is going to enjoy whatever financial benefit there is from it. We took the risk, they've got the reward."
Community campaign
Journalist Stefan Simanowitz has spearheaded a "save our cafes" campaign that has gathered more than 20,000 petition signatures. Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, and Stephen Campbell Moore, who regularly visit Parliament Hill Lido Cafe, have backed the protests.
Cumberbatch told the Camden New Journal in August: "This is about people and not profit. It's vital that we stand up for people who run businesses that serve the community, to preserve the livelihoods of individuals who have been crafting relationships with their customers."
Affordable community hub
Regular customers emphasize the cafes' role as inclusive community spaces. Kate Orr, a 56-year-old lido regular from Camden, said: "There are a lot of people who come here who are really struggling with their mental health or are lonely, or who don't quite fit in in the world, or who don't have much money. This is the most tolerant and inclusive place. The cafe is genuinely part of that community."
Imogen West, 56, from Hampstead Heath, highlighted affordability: "You can get a really good meal for £10.50, where else can you get that? This area is a real mix of people who do have money and people who don't. This place serves all of those people."
Operator's response
Daisy Green co-founder Prue Freeman said she was "delighted" to be selected. She pledged to deliver "upgraded menus, improved facilities and welcoming spaces" while maintaining affordability and sustainability. "We want these cafes to remain welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and connected to these very special spaces," Freeman said.
The decision echoes a 2016 retendering process at Parliament Hill Cafe, when coffee chain Benugo withdrew its bid after protests backed by Sir Keir Starmer, then MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Simanowitz hopes Daisy Green will follow that precedent and reconsider.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
