City of London to defend Hampstead Heath café ruling

In a response published 13 October 2026 and still prominent on the City of London Corporation's newsroom in the week of 17 October, the Corporation said it would 'continue to defend the claim robustly' after a court ruled against its selection of operators for five cafés on Hampstead Heath. As trustee of the Hampstead Heath charity, the Corporation had chosen Australian group Daisy Green and local operator Cosmin Stuparu, saying their bids offered the strongest proposals and long-term plans. The incumbent operators behind the Hoxton Beach brand challenged the retendering process in a judicial review, and the High Court has now approved their challenge, with a hearing to follow. The Corporation argued its process was 'lawful, open and the only fair and proper way to secure the future of all five cafés', and expressed concern that drawn-out legal action is draining charitable resources that would otherwise go into maintaining the Heath's open spaces.