{"id":642825,"date":"2025-12-19T19:55:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T19:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/642825\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T19:55:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T19:55:19","slug":"city-of-london-kick-out-independent-heath-cafes-and-hand-them-to-daisy-green-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/642825\/","title":{"rendered":"City of London kick out independent Heath cafes \u2013 and hand them to Daisy Green chain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thousands of Heath users signed a petition calling for the long-standing operators to keep their businessses<\/strong><\/p>\n

HAMPSTEAD Heath managers, the City of London, stand accused of destroying Christmas after turfing out long-standing cafes to make way for a new chain operation.<\/p>\n

The result of a behind-closed-doors meeting was finally released today (Friday) and has left the D\u2019Auria family with little more than a month to pack up their things from the Parliament Hill Fields cafe, which it has run for 44 years. Similarly, Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, who run the Lido cafe, have been told they will be replaced.<\/p>\n

The big winners of a tendering process are the Daisy Green business, which runs a series of eateries in London, including a coffee shop in Marylebone, a cafe in Holland Park and a riverside boathouse canteen in Richmond. In its announcement today, the City of London insisted the company was not a \u2018chain\u2019, as each venue had a different \u201cidentity\u201d.<\/p>\n

The City made the decision in private last Monday (December 8) but only provided the outcome on the last Friday before Christmas week \u2013 a declaration which has immediately sparked fury from supporters of the independent businesses that have been told to leave.<\/p>\n

Hampstead and Highgate MP Tulip Siddiq said she would fight to get the decision overturned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am appalled that local businesses have been told in the week before Christmas they will be turfed out of their cafes,\u201d she said. \u201cThis decision by the City of London shows a total disregard for the community and I will continue to fight it every step of the way. The City of London said that they wanted operators that reflect the unique character and community spirit of the area. Instead, they have decided to ignore a petition with more than 19,000 signatures and to evict the D\u2019Auria family who have been on the Heath for 42 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlfonso and his family have built the unique character and community spirit of the Heath over generations. They are known and loved by the local community and visitors alike. I have written to the staff and owners to offer my support and to make clear that the campaign does not stop here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daisy Green is a firm owned by Prudence Freeman and Tom Onions. The New Journal contacted the firm today but was told it was \u201crespectfully decline\u201d to be interviewed by the New Journal about its plans. The City added it \u201ccould not facilitate an interview at this time\u201d with the chair of the committee that made the decision, Alderman Gregory Jones KC.<\/p>\n

Mr D\u2019Auria said the decision to kick them out and let them know just days before Christmas was hard to take.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have given them 44 years of service and they have given us a month to get out,\u201d he said. \u201cIt felt deeply cynical to let us know today. They should have been more considerate of the 44 years we have given to our communities who use the Heath and who love what we do. This is our livelihood and at the end of the day, it just feels so disrespectful to be told we have to be out by the end of January. I am disgusted by the way we have been treated \u2013 absolutely disgusted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe many things we have done for the City over years \u2013 we have been part of this place as family \u2013 and they have just turned round, days before Christmas, and said you\u2019ve got a month..\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alberto D\u2019Auria\u2019s family have run the Parliament Hill Fields cafe for 44 years<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cafe employs 12 people whose jobs are now at risk.<\/p>\n

Mr D\u2019Auria said: \u201cWe very carefully put in a bid that would keep what we do so well and improve on it \u2013 our proposal was amazing, building on our 44 years of experience. We were going to renew the building and improve on what we know the customers love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Matthews and Ms Fernandez at the Lido cafe said they had been left on tenterhooks for almost a fortnight before the devastating news was delivered today.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the New Journal, Mr Matthews said: \u201cWe have been overwhelmed by the support we\u2019ve received from the public since the City put our cafes on the market. Over six years we have seen the Lido caf\u00e9 turn into a local year-round institution from almost a clean slate and Queens Park and Highgate are twice as busy as when we took them on. It\u2019s surprising that in spite of the overwhelming local feeling that they should not go to a chain, the City has done precisely that. We have been told endlessly that the City is acting as a charity, but it is an odd sort of charity that repeatedly disregards the clearly expressed wishes of that charity\u2019s beneficiaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have delayed telling us until three days before Christmas, and we now have to tell the people we employ that they are going to be unemployed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doug Crawford was appointed to a City-organised cafe working group set up in 2016 \u2013 when the City last tried to hive off cafes to a chain and a public campaign forced coffee chain Benugo to pull out of a deal.<\/p>\n

He told the New Journal: \u201cThe announcement that Parliament Hill, The Lido, Golders Hill and Queens Park cafes will in future be run by Daisy Green is a cause of much sadness, disappointment and anger. The City of London promised that the leases would not be granted to a chain \u2013 yet Daisy Green have 20 other outlets across London and have no historical connection with the communities which the cafes serve. It would appear that the City have yet again ignored public opinion and have decided to \u2018corporatise\u2019 yet another aspect of the Heath \u2013 further demonstrating that money comes before people as far as they are concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the tendering process had been flawed and badly managed, adding: \u201cTen days elapsed after the decision was taken before the operators were notified and they have until the end of January 2026 to wind down their business. The D\u2019Auria brothers have been operating Parliament Hill Cafe for 44 years and Hoxton Beach have operated the Lido and Queens Park for nine years \u2013 hardly a demonstration of \u2018valuing the existing operators\u2019 \u2013 an assertion that the City have repeatedly made throughout this opaque and disingenuous tendering process.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven aspects of the press release distort the truth \u2013 the Cafe Working Group established by the City in 2016 with the express remit of advising on the conduct of future tenders was never disbanded as the City claim and met regularly from 2016 until COVID. However, they were prevented from providing any input to the decision-making process by the City.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe manner in which the City have conducted themselves over this matter gives cause for concern regarding the proposed changes in Heath funding \u2013 can they really be trusted to act in our best interests?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stefan Simanowitz set up the Save Our Cafes campaign and gave the City a petition of over 20,000 signatories.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe are shocked and outraged by this decision and we intend to fight it. It would be tragic if our local family-run cafes, operated by people who live in the community, were replaced with Daisy Green, a high-end chain. The four months has seen an incredible outpouring of support for these much-loved existing cafes and their operators who provide a vital and valued space for the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cNine years ago, in response to a massive public outcry, Benugo pulled out of a contract they had won to replace the Parliament Hill Cafe. We call on the locals to raise their voices again, and for Daisy Green to leave our cafes as they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Jones KC, chair of the City of London Heath management committee, said: \u201cThese caf\u00e9s play an essential role in the life of our green spaces, and we are delighted to be moving forward with an independent operator that will bring energy, creativity, and investment to each site. Daisy Green demonstrated the strongest blend of quality, sustainability, affordability, and community value \u2013 all central to our role as stewards of these wonderful places. Their commitment to enhancing facilities, keeping menus fresh, and celebrating the distinctive character of each caf\u00e9 will ensure visitors continue to enjoy warm, welcoming spaces for many years to come. I would like to thank all operators \u2013 both past and present \u2013 for their dedication and service. The standard of bids we received was incredibly high, reflecting how valued these caf\u00e9s are by the communities they serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daisy Green co-founder Ms Freeman said: \u201cAs users of these open spaces, we are delighted to be selected for these much-loved caf\u00e9s. Each site has a unique character and generational roots within its community. We look forward to creating wonderful spaces for all; serving delicious, locally sourced food and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an independent London-based business, we are proud of our long-standing support of local suppliers and charities, providing family-friendly activities, and running environmentally responsible operations. We want these caf\u00e9s to remain welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and connected to these very special spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thousands of Heath users signed a petition calling for the long-standing operators to keep their businessses HAMPSTEAD Heath…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,51,18393,197514,393,4884,52577,113459,257,18394,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-642825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-dan-carrier","11":"tag-dartmouth-park","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-hampstead","15":"tag-highgate","16":"tag-london","17":"tag-the-camden-new-journal","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115747994727156981","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}