A decision to hand over four independently run cafes in Hampstead Heath, including one regularly visited by actor Benedict Cumberbatch, to a group of Australian-inspired eateries has provoked “outrage” within the community, campaigners say.
Daisy Green has been selected to run cafes at Queen’s Park, Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Lido and Parliament Hill Fields from spring 2026 by the City of London Corporation (CLC), which owns the land.
The cafes at Parliament Hill Lido and Queen’s Park are run by Kentish Town couple Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, as well as one in Highgate Wood, which could also change hands.
The Italian cafe at Parliament Hill Fields has been run by the D’Auria family for 45 years.
On Friday, all current operators were told they would have to give up their cafes by the end of January.
The CLC said Daisy Green will bring “upgraded menus, improved facilities and welcoming spaces”, and commit to affordability, sustainability and partnering with local suppliers.
Ms Fernandez and Mr Matthews have run Parliament Hill Lido Cafe, whose customers include Cumberbatch and actor James McAvoy, for 10 years.
Ms Fernandez, 49, said she is “devastated” by the news, adding: “We created a real community hub. The City of London Corporation are just destroying this fabric which is holding together the community.”
She and her husband have used the cafe as a space to host community events, including a children’s puppet show, and to display the work of local artists, who exhibit and sell there for free.
The couple are also concerned the takeover will put jobs at risk. Their three cafes employ around 50 members of staff during the summer and 30 over the winter.
Ms Fernandez said: “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.”
Their children, Selene, 11, and Esmee, nine, are familiar faces at the cafe and enjoy helping out during the school holidays.
“It’s horrible for them,” Mrs Fernandez said. “They were born here, they were brought up here. It’s like a family here, they know the customers, they know the (lido) staff.
“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.”
She added: “We’re not here trying to make money. We’re here because we love it and we work with our hearts.”
Mr Matthews, 72, added: “I thought it was inconceivable that we wouldn’t get the Lido Cafe. It’s natural justice – we took it from nothing, and we made something that wasn’t there beforehand.
“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.”
Lido regular Kate Orr, 56, 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 … This is the strongest sense of community I’ve had in my 56 years by a long way.
“The cafe is genuinely part of that community.”
“You need a cafe that’s affordable,” said Imogen West, 56, from 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 who do have money and people who don’t. This place serves all of those people. It’s more than a job (for Mr Williams and Ms Fernandez) – it’s a way of life.”
Journalist Stefan Simanowitz, 49, said he is outraged by the decision and will continue to fight it.
He spearheaded a “save our cafes” campaign, which 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 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.”
In 2016, a similar retendering process was attempted at Parliament Hill Cafe, but coffee chain Benugo dropped out of the takeover following protests backed by Sir Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, who is now Prime Minister.
Mr Simanowitz said he hopes Daisy Green may make a similar decision.
Prue Freeman, co-founder of Daisy Green, said the company is “delighted” to have been chosen.
Ms Freeman said: “As 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 cafes to remain welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and connected to these very special spaces.”
