Cafés across the City Corporation’s North London Open Spaces

Hampstead Heath is managed by the City of London Corporation as a registered charity, at no cost to council taxpayers. The City Corporation acts as sole trustee, with a legal duty to protect the Heath, manage it responsibly, and act in the best long-term interests of the charity and the public who use it.

Caring for Hampstead Heath involves ongoing investment in conservation, safety and everyday facilities, so that it remains open, well maintained and accessible for everyone who uses it, now and in the future.

Last year, the City Corporation invested over £12 million of its own funds to keep the Heath open, safe and thriving.

Previously, all cafés were operating on short-term “tenancies at will” which are not suitable for the long-term management and the significant financial investment needed to sustain these important charity assets.

As trustee, the City Corporation could not simply roll these arrangements on indefinitely. Doing so would not have represented good governance or protected the long term interests of the charity.

Awarding a long term lease to any operator requires a formal, open and competitive process. Simply converting short term arrangements into long leases without market testing would not have been fair, lawful or responsible.

After several years of temporary arrangements, there was a clear need to properly evaluate the café offer, invite competition, and secure a sustainable long term future for café provision on the Heath.

The café remarketing exercise was fair, open and competitive (with 30 submissions received for all five cafes, which includes those at Highgate Wood and Queens Park).

All existing operators were informed before the remarketing exercise was launched and invited to take part.

It was also supported by specialist Food and Beverage agents, Davis Coffer Lyons, and was consulted on through the City Corporation’s committee structure, which includes representatives connected to Hampstead Heath and surrounding boroughs.

Several factors were considered in reviewing the submissions, including café concept, menu and food offer, environmental management, community and social value, management approach, experience and references, and the overall strength of the business plan.

Each café was remarketed and assessed individually and combined or “portfolio” bids were not accepted.

A working party consisting of City Corporation officers, Members and local representatives was formed after the same exercise in 2016 to provide feedback on its outcomes.

Its work finished at that time, but its input has helped shape the current process. This group no longer exists as an advisory body and does not have an ongoing or formal role in the 2025 exercise.

On 19 December 2025, we announced that Daisy Green was awarded the leases for the cafes on Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park.

Daisy Green was selected against several other bids on the strength of its proposals. Its bid included significant investment in café buildings, a commitment to paying the London Living Wage, keeping menus affordable, and developing community-focused use of the cafés.

Existing operators were invited to bid and were considered alongside other applicants, with decisions made on a site-by-site basis using the same assessment criteria.

On 20 January, we announced that Cosmin Stuparu, who has run the café at Golders Hill Park for the past 15 years, has been awarded the lease for Highgate Wood café. 

Daisy Green is an independent London business and a collection of cafes, not a national or multinational chain.

Each café was remarketed and assessed individually, with decisions on the quality of proposals for each site, not on size or brand. Daisy Green demonstrated a strong understanding of each location, alongside clear commitments to local sourcing, community engagement, environmental responsibility, and sensitive investment in the buildings.

Each café will operate with its own identity, reflecting the distinctive character of Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park, and will continue to function as welcoming, inclusive community spaces.

No – the cafés on Hampstead Heath are not intended to be premium destination dining venues.

Menus, pricing and the overall offer will be set specifically for the site (Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood, Queen's Park locations), reflecting their role as everyday, accessible community cafés. Comparisons with high street or central London venues are misleading.

Affordability was a core requirement of the remarketing process and remains a firm expectation of the City Corporation as trustee.

Café staff are being retained wherever possible. For the first time, all cafés across Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park will now pay the London Living Wage, and longstanding arrangements, such as the D’Auria Brothers’ ice cream operation at Parliament Hill, will continue.

The process was considered through the City Corporation’s established committee and consultative structures, which include representatives from local community groups and organisations connected to Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen's Park.

Petitions and representations were acknowledged and considered as part of the wider picture. However, as trustee, the City Corporation must balance public views with legal duties, financial sustainability and long term stewardship. No single factor can determine a decision affecting a registered charity.

No. Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen's Park are run for public benefit, not profit.

Like all charities, they must be managed sustainably. Income generated at the sites goes directly back into running and maintaining the green spaces.

Whilst financial return for the charities is a factor in the decision-making process, this was never a profit-driven exercise, and non-financial factors that would bring benefit to the local community and environment were given significant consideration.

We want the approved operators to take over the cafés as soon as possible so they can begin refurbishment and reopen fully for the public. The new operators are working closely with us to prepare for this transition.

The café leases were awarded following a fair, open and lawful process. That decision is now subject to legal challenge by Hoxton Beach.

Hoxton Beach’s tenancies at the Lido, Queen’s Park, and Highgate Wood have ended, but they have not yet vacated the cafés. As with any such situation, the City Corporation may need to pursue the appropriate legal route to regain possession. As this is a legal matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

Our focus remains on acting in the best interests of the charity, meeting our legal responsibilities, and ensuring high-quality café services for visitors to these much-loved spaces.