Anger as City of London closes four independent shops for cafe group
The decision to hand over four independently run cafes on Hampstead Heath to a group of Australian-inspired eateries has sparked “outrage” in the community, campaigners say.
Daisy Green has been chosen by the land owner, the City of London Corporation (CLC), to operate the cafes at Queen’s Park, Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Lido and Parliament Hill Fields from spring 2026.
The cafes in Parliament Hill Lido and Queen’s Park are run by Kentish Town couple Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, as well as cafes in Highgate Wood, which could also change hands.
The Italian café in Parliament Hill Fields has been run by the D’Auria family for 45 years.
On Friday, all existing operators were told they must give up cafes by the end of January.
CLC said Daisy Green will offer “elevated menus, enhanced facilities and reception areas” and is committed to affordability, sustainability and partnering with local suppliers.
Ms. Fernandez and Mr. Matthews have run the Parliament Hill Lido Cafe for 10 years, whose customers include actors Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.
Ms Fernandez, 49, said she was “devastated” by the news, adding: “We have created a real community centre. The City of London Corporation is destroying the very fabric that holds society together.”
She and her husband used the café as a space to host community events, including a children’s puppet show, and to showcase the work of local artists, who performed and sold there for free.
The couple are also concerned that the takeover would put their business at risk. Approximately 50 personnel work in the three cafes in summer and 30 in winter.
Ms Fernandez said: “I honestly have no idea what to do. It’s the only thing I love to do, the only thing I know how to do, and I feel very rooted here.”
Their children Selene, 11, and Esmee, 9, are familiar faces in the cafe and they enjoy helping out during the school holidays.
“It’s a terrible situation for them,” Ms. Fernandez said. “They were born here, they grew up here, it’s like a family, they know the customers, they know the staff.
“When I ask them what they want to do later in life, they always say, ‘I want to work in the pool with you.’ Everything is shattered now.”
He added: “We’re not here to make money. We’re here because we love it here and we work with our hearts.”
Mr Matthews, 72, added: “I thought it was incredible that we couldn’t get the Lido Cafe. It’s natural justice; we took it from nothing and made something that wasn’t there before.”
“We feel like we’ve created something and the financial benefit from it will now be enjoyed by someone else. We took the risk, they got the reward.”
Lido regular Kate Orr, 56, from Camden, said: “A lot of people come here who are really struggling with their mental health, who are lonely, who don’t quite fit into the world or don’t have much money.
“This is the most tolerant and inclusive place… This is the strongest sense of community I have had in a long time in my 56 years of life.
“The cafe is truly part of this community.”
“You need an affordable café,” said Imogen West, 56, of Hampstead Heath. “You can get a really good meal for £10.50, where else can you get that?”
“This area is a real mix of people with money and people without money. This place serves all of those people. It’s more than a business (for Mr. Williams and Ms. Fernandez) — it’s a way of life.”
Journalist Stefan Simanowitz, 49, said he was angry at the decision and would continue to fight it.
He spearheaded a “save our cafes” campaign that included a petition signed by more than 20,000 people and was supported by Cumberbatch, McAvoy and fellow actor Stephen Campbell Moore.
In August, Cumberbatch told the Camden New Journal: “This is about people, not profits. It’s vital that we stand with the people who run businesses that serve the community, to protect the livelihoods of individuals who build relationships with their customers.”
A similar re-tendering process was tried at Parliament Hill Cafe in 2016, but coffee chain Benugo pulled out of the takeover following protests backed by Holborn MP Sir Keir Starmer and St Pancras, now Prime Minister.
Mr. Simanowitz said he hoped Daisy Green would make a similar decision.
Prue Freeman, co-founder of Daisy Green, said the company was “delighted” to have been chosen.
Ms Freeman said: “As an independent business based in London, we are proud of our long-standing support of local suppliers and charities, offering family-friendly activities and running environmentally responsible operations.
“We want these cafes to remain welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and connected to these very special spaces.”
