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Decision to hand over four independently operated cafes Hampstead HeathIncluding a location regularly visited by the actor Benedict CumberbatchA group of Australian-inspired eateries have caused “outcry” within the community, campaigners say.
Daisy Green has been chosen 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.
Cafés in Parliament Hill Lido and Queen’s Park are run by Kentish Town couple Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, as well as a café in Highgate Wood, which may also change hands.
Italian The café in Parliament Hill Fields has been run by the D’Auria family for 45 years.
On Friday, all existing operators were told they would have to leave their cafes by the end of January.
CLC said Daisy Green will bring an “enhanced menu, improved amenities and welcoming space” and will be committed to affordability, sustainability and partnerships with local suppliers.
Ms Fernandez and Mr Matthews have run the Parliament Hill Lido Café for 10 years, whose customers have included Cumberbatch and actor James McAvoy.
Ms Fernandez, 49, said she was “devastated” by the news, adding: “We have built a real community hub. The City of London Corporation is simply destroying this fabric that holds the community together.”
She and her husband have used the café to host community events, including children’s puppet shows, and to showcase the work of local artists, who perform and sell there for free.
The couple are also concerned that the acquisition will put jobs at risk. Their three cafés employ approximately 50 staff during the summer and 30 during the winter.
Ms Fernandez said: “To be honest, I don’t know what I’m going to do. This is something I love to do, I know how to do, and I feel very deeply at home here.”
Their children, Celine, 11, and Esme, nine, are familiar faces in the café and enjoy helping out during the school holidays.
“It’s terrible for them,” Mrs. Fernandez said. “They were born here, they were raised 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 next in life, they always say ‘I want to work with you at the Lido.’ Now it’s all fallen apart.”
He added, “We’re not here to try to make money. We’re here because we love it and we work from the heart.”
Mr Matthews, 72, said: “I thought it was unimaginable that we wouldn’t get the Lido Café. It’s natural justice – we took it from nothing, and we created something that wasn’t already there.
“We feel like we’ve created something and now someone else will enjoy the financial benefits of it. 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, or are lonely, or who don’t quite fit in the world, or who don’t have much money.
“This is the most tolerant and inclusive place… It has the strongest sense of community I have seen in my 56 years.
“The café is really part of that community.”
“You need a café that’s affordable,” 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 who 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 Stephen Simanovitz, 49, said he was outraged by the decision and would continue to fight against it.
He led the “Save Our Café” campaign, which included a petition signed by over 20,000 people and 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 important that we stand up for the people who run businesses that serve the community, to preserve the livelihoods of the individuals who are building relationships with their customers.”
In 2016, a similar re-tender process was attempted at Parliament Hill Café, but the coffee chain backed out of the Benugo takeover after protests backed by Sir. keir starmerMP for Holborn and St Pancras, who is now Prime Minister.
Mr. Simanovitz said he expected Daisy Green to make a similar decision.
Daisy Green co-founder Prue Freeman said the company was “delighted” to have been selected.
Ms Freeman said: “As an independent London-based business, we are proud of our long-term 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 special places.”