Hampstead Heath cafés to stay open as Daisy Green secures long-term leases

Cafés at Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park will remain open and affordable community spaces after the City of London Corporation confirmed that Daisy Green has been awarded new long-term leases following a competitive remarketing process.

The decision, which has prompted debate locally, has been presented by the City Corporation as a way of securing the future of cafés that had previously been operating on short-term arrangements, limiting investment in buildings, facilities and staff.

“These cafés are not closing”

Alderman Gregory Jones KC, chair of the City Corporation’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, said there had been “misleading and inaccurate claims” since the leases were announced.

“These cafés are not closing. They are much-loved parts of Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park, and this process was about ensuring they can continue to operate and invest for the long term,” he said.

He added that moving to longer leases would make it possible to improve buildings and facilities while keeping the cafés financially sustainable.

Pay, pricing and local character

Under the new arrangements, all retained café staff across Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park will be paid at least the London Living Wage. Menus are expected to remain affordable, and the cafés will continue to host and develop community programmes.

Jones stressed that Daisy Green, while operating several sites across the capital, is “an independent, London-based business, not a national or multinational chain”. Each café, he said, would retain its own identity, shaped by its setting and local input.

Campaigners opposed to the change have raised concerns about homogenisation and rising prices. The City Corporation argues that those fears overlook the scale of planned investment and the safeguards built into the leases.

How the decision was made

The remarketing process was open, widely advertised and supported independently. Existing café operators were invited to bid and were informed in advance of the public announcement in July 2025.

In total, 30 bids were received and assessed individually against criteria including affordability, environmental standards, community benefit, experience and business plans. Each café was considered separately, and combined bids across multiple sites were not accepted.

Local engagement formed part of the process, with the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee, which represents community groups and stakeholders, involved throughout. Further engagement is planned as the new arrangements are implemented.

For background on the London Living Wage and how it is calculated, readers can find more detail via the Living Wage Foundation.

Wider investment in London’s open spaces

The City Corporation, which manages Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park as registered charities rather than council-run services, says it spent almost £12 million last year on maintaining Hampstead Heath alone, without drawing on local council tax.

Recent investment has included a £2.3 million upgrade to Parliament Hill Athletics Track, one of only seven tracks in England to hold TrackMark accreditation, underlining the scale of long-term stewardship across the Heath.

A separate announcement on the future of the café at Highgate Wood is expected in due course.

For more stories exploring how London’s parks, public spaces and neighbourhood institutions are managed, follow EyeOnLondon City for independent, thoughtful coverage.

[Image Credit | Britain Express]

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