Inside the fight to save independent cafes from 'corporate greed and exploitative capitalism'

The same greed that “poisoned the water companies” threatens to turf out family cafe operators on London’s Hampstead Heath – and set a “bleak precedent” for other independent operators.

For more than 40 years, the D’Auria family has run the Parliament Hill Café, serving tea and toast to swimmers, joggers and dog walkers.

But their future – along with that of other independent North London operators at the Lido, Golders Hill Park, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park – now hangs in the balance.

The City of London Corporation, which manages Hampstead Heath, has launched a public tendering process that campaigners fear could hand prized leases to corporate chains.

“The D’Auria family don’t maximise profits. They sometimes take losses to ensure food and drink remain affordable for the diverse local community,” says Doug Crawford, a local campaigner who helped fight back against a proposed takeover from the Benugo cafe company in 2016.

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“If tenders go purely to the highest bidder, we risk losing operators who understand the Heath’s social and community role, potentially excluding the most socially and economically vulnerable members of our community.”

“To me, this looks like exploitative capitalism or corporate greed manifesting itself. And it’s not dissimilar, to my mind, to the water companies. They have a monopoly situation and are choosing to basically abuse that situation, putting profits before people.”

Officials insist the bidding will be “fair and transparent”. There was a public engagement exercise carried out in 2023, but campaigners claim that the city will not release information on its methodology or results.

“They claim a public consultation in 2023, but we have no knowledge of it,” says Crawford. “How can community input be considered if they won’t even tell us what consultation occurred?”

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which manages Hampstead Heath as a registered charity, said that all five cafe operators are trading under short-term tenancies at will. These were always temporary, they added.

“A competitive re-marketing process will help us ensure a high-quality visitor experience, offering welcoming community spaces that continue to meet the needs of local people,” they said.

“We deeply appreciate the long-standing contributions of our cafe operators, some of whom have been part of the Heath for generations. Their experience and dedication are valued, and they are being encouraged to take part in this opportunity.”

Nonetheless, campaigners fear a corporate takeover. In 2016, the Benugo chain was poised to take over – an outcome that was only halted by a tenacious local campaign.

But why does this matter, unless you visit this one London park?

UK high streets and open spaces are becoming increasingly dominated by chain stores, pushing independent shops out. In 2024, the country lost nearly 13,500 shops and hospitality venues – an average of 37 per day. Of these, 11,341 were independents, a 45.5% increase from the previous year

This “homogenisation” kills local character, says Power to Change policy lead Nick Pumb. Power to Change works to help community businesses up and down the UK.

“In a kind of increasingly identikit city, businesses which are run by and for the community, feel more important than ever, and I think that’s why you get that kind of backlash that you’re seeing with the Heath example,” he said.

Last week, protestors staged a carnival-style rally outside the threatened Lido cafe. Protest organiser Stefan Simanowitz said that the Save Our Cafés message would ‘not be silenced’.

“There is a huge amount of grassroots local support for keeping these independent cafes as they are,” he said.

Grassroots support for local owners is “very common”, says Plumb – these “cafes can be very popular, and seen as local assets.”

However, the Heath fight is specific, too: “There is more competition in London, there’s much more competition, and we’ve all seen the examples where landowners recognise how much income they have the potential to generate from the land and buildings that they own, and so move to the highest bidder, rather than a kind of social purpose type business.”

Campaigners claim that the city does not need to do so: it is exceedingly rich, sitting on more than £2 billion in assets. It earns most of its revenues from a substantial property portfolio and centuries-old endowments, and spends just 1% of its funds on parks and heathland.

“They’re a very wealthy body… pursuing a solution that minimises their financial commitment. They’re in a monopoly position, and they’re abusing it,” Crawford warns. “Unless we push for changes in governance, this treadmill will keep repeating itself.”

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