Hampstead Heath cafés to stay open after Daisy Green decision

Cafés at Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park will remain open and are not being closed or replaced, the City of London Corporation has said, following criticism of its decision to award new leases to operator Daisy Green.

The City Corporation, which manages Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park as registered charities, said the move was intended to secure the long-term future of the cafés through longer leases that allow for investment in buildings and facilities.

It said all retained café staff across the Heath and Queen’s Park would be paid at least the London Living Wage, and that the cafés would continue to operate as affordable, community-focused spaces.

The decision followed a remarketing process that the City Corporation described as open, competitive and independently supported. Existing café operators were invited to take part, and 30 bids were submitted in total.

Bids were assessed individually against criteria including affordability, environmental standards, community benefit, experience and business plans. Each café was considered separately, and combined bids covering multiple sites were not accepted.

The Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee, which represents local groups and stakeholders, was involved throughout the process, with the City Corporation saying community engagement would continue as the new arrangements are implemented.

Alderman Gregory Jones KC, chair of the City of London Corporation’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, said there had been “misleading and inaccurate claims” about the decision.

In a statement, Jones said: “These cafés are not closing. They are much-loved parts of Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park, and this process was about ensuring they can continue to operate and invest for the long term.”

He said the cafés had previously operated on short-term arrangements that made investment difficult, and that moving to longer-term leases under Daisy Green would allow for improvements while securing their future.

Jones added that, as trustee of the charities that manage the open spaces, the City Corporation had a duty to ensure services were properly run and leases market-tested in line with good governance.

He said Daisy Green was an independent, London-based business rather than a national or multinational chain, and that each café would retain its own identity with input from the local community.