Upset as cafes handed to coffee chain Daisy Green

A decision to hand over four independently run cafes to a London-based coffee chain has provoked "outrage" within the community, campaigners have said.

Landowner, City of London Corporation (CLC) has chosen Daisy Green to run cafes at Queen's Park, Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Lido and Parliament Hill Fields from spring 2026, after putting these leases out to tender.

Emma Fernandez, who co-runs three of the sites, said the CLC was "destroying this fabric which is holding together the community".

The corporation said Daisy Green, would bring new investment to the sites, and said its remarketing exercise was carried out in an "open, inclusive, widely publicised" way.

All current operators were told on Friday they would have to give up their cafes by 31 January.

The CLC added that all the current operators had been "trading under tenancies at will, which are unsustainable short-term arrangements".

Kentish Town couple Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez run the cafes at Parliament Hill Lido, Queen's Park, and Highgate Wood.

Parliament Hill Lido Cafe's customers include actors Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy, who have supported the cafe for 10 years.

Ms Fernandez, 49, said she was "devastated" by the news.

"We created a real community hub. The City of London Corporation are just destroying this fabric which is holding together the community," she said.

"We're not here trying to make money. We're here because we love it and we work with our hearts."

The couple are concerned the takeover will put jobs at risk. Their three cafes employ about 50 members of staff during the summer and 30 over the winter.

Lido regular Kate Orr, 56, from Camden, said the cafe was part of the community.

Imogen West, 56, from Hampstead Heath, added: "This area is a real mix of people who do have money and people who don't. This place serves all of those people."

The Italian cafe at Parliament Hill Fields has been run by the D'Auria family for 45 years.

Journalist Stefan Simanowitz, 49, said he was outraged by the CLC's decision and would continue to fight it.

He ran 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 2016, a similar re-tendering 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.

Daisy Green runs cafes and restaurants inspired by Australian coffee culture and has more than 20 sites in the capital.

Co-founder, Prue Freeman, said the company was "delighted" to have been chosen.

"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," she said.

"We want these cafes to remain welcoming spaces where everyone feels included and connected to these very special spaces."

Chair of the City of London Corporation's Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen's Park Committee, alderman Gregory Jones KC, said the new operator would bring "energy, creativity, and investment to each site".

"Daisy Green demonstrated the strongest blend of quality, sustainability, affordability, and community value – all central to our role as stewards of these wonderful places.

"Their commitment to enhancing facilities, keeping menus fresh, and celebrating the distinctive character of each café will ensure visitors continue to enjoy warm, welcoming spaces for many years to come."

He also thanked all the past and present operators for their dedication and service, adding that the standard of the bids they received was "incredibly high".

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