PRESS RELEASE – #SaveOurCafes Campaign
13 August 2025
“This is about people and not profit”
Benedict Cumberbatch adds his voice to campaign to save independent cafés
- “Hands off our cafes” City of London Corporation told as campaign mounts
- A day of LIVE MUSIC and PERFORMANCE at the LIDO CAFÉ – 14 August – 10.30am – 2pm – PRESS CONFERENCE at midday
- Local celebrities and Hampstead MP Tulip Siddiq help to promote Thursday’s action
Benedict Cumberbatch has added his voice to the growing campaign calling on the City of London Corporation to reconsider the tendering processes that they have initiated that might see five local independent cafes handed to chains.
As musicians, performers, poets, magicians and puppets prepare to take to an impromptu stage for a half-day event on Thursday in support of the Save Our Cafes campaign, the BAFTA, Emmy and Olivier Award winning actor said:
“In such economically dire times it is vital that we stand up for people who run businesses that serve community. Their work and shared space serve local communities of families, artists, swimmers, walkers, parents, children and carers.
They understand their customers and know them by name. It is also vital to preserve the livelihoods of the individuals that have for years been crafting these relationships with our community. This is about people and not profit”
Benedict Cumberbach
Tomorrow’s protest – the first of several planned actions – is timed to coincide with viewings of the property by potential lessees and intended to highlight the groundswell of local opposition to the way in which this process has been handled.
“There is overwhelming public demand for these cafes to be run by independent, local operators. The current cafes fulfil a vital community function delivering healthy, affordable food and drink in welcoming surroundings and tailoring their offering to suit the needs of their customers,” said Doug Crawford a founder member of the Café Working Group, set up by the City of London Corporation in 2017 with the remit of reviewing café operations and tendering processes.
The City of London Corporation, which owns the land on which the cafes stand, is seeking to put five cafes – including three on Hampstead Heath – out to tender. Campaigners fear that management of the cafes may pass to operators who have the deepest pockets but the least local knowledge or experience and who simply operate them as part of a larger chain.
When tendering for the cafes was last attempted in 2016 the process that the City of London Corporation embarked on was secretive, failed to take account of public opinion and was biased in favour of a large café chain. The Café Working Group challenged the process with the support of local MP, Kier Starmer, and the decision was overturned. However, it does not appear that the lessons from that process have been learned.
The current campaign is also getting high level political support with Tulip Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate, helping to promote Thursday’s campaign with a retweet to her 210,000 followers.
Many of the well-known people who frequent the cafes – including playwright and director Sophie Hunter – are coming out publicly to support the campaign and it is hoped that there may be some celebrity appearances at the show.
Journalist and presenter, Giles Coren, who is currently on holiday expressed his disappointment at not being able to attend but has been active in promoting the campaign. “I already signed the a few weeks ago and posted it on our neighbourhood email group and urged people to sign,” he said.
A written #SaveTheLidoCafe petition already has more than 2,000 signatures and an online Save Our Cafes petition now boasts over 17,000 signatures.
“It would be heartbreaking if we were to lose these fantastic independent cafes. We call on the City of London Corporation to enter into direct negotiations with the current providers before embarking on any open tender process. Only if negotiations break down should an open tender process be considered and the details of need to be fully disclosed to the public,” said Doug Crawford.
For more information contact: Stefan Simanowitz – 07799650791
We can share photos and video in advance or on the day if you need. This thread has good contenthttps://x.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1954945123298443607
Day of Performance – Thursday 14 August 2025
START – 10.30am
Press Conference – midday
FINISH 2pm
The line up includes live music and an eclectic range of acts, supplemented by performances by members of the public. It includes puppet shows, a magician – Magic Marcus – as well as bands and musicians, a dog “Pawtition” and a display by Andrea HulaMyHoop who holds the Guinness world record for “butt hooping”. a
World-renown puppeteer Mark Down will perform his show “What to do in a Puppet Emergency”
Up-and-coming three-piece band, Jay and the Lost Arts, will perform a stonking set and other musicians are expected together with some sing-along karaoke.
Locals and passers-by will be invited to put their names down to do a turn and take a bow. The newly formed Lido Players will perform “Conversations in the Sauna”.
Petition · Save our local cafes – we need your support again! – United Kingdom · Change.org
BACKGROUND
The cafes at Parliament Hill, Queens Park, the Lido and Highgate Woods have long been welcoming havens for visitors to the local parks and woods, and for those that live in the immediate vicinity. They are distinctive – they are real – providing a range of nutritious and affordable food and drink and friendly service in relaxing environments. They are run by small, local operators who understand the needs of their customers and the local community – they offer an experience which is a far cry from that offered by corporate café operators, whose overwhelming priority is to maximise their profits.
We want to keep it this way but the City of London Corporation, which owns the land on which the cafes stand, is seeking to put them out to tender.
The campaign is trying to impress on the Corporation that having operators who are rooted in the community and who understand the needs of their customers is an essential pre-requisite for maintaining the uniqueness for which the cafes are renowned.
