Squatters have taken over Gordon Ramsay’s £13m pub in Regent’s Park last week, after the building was put up for sale at the end of 2024.
At least six squatters have been occupying Gordon Ramsay’s Grade II-listed restaurant in Regent’s Park. The historic building, which housed the York and Albany hotel and gastropub, has been empty and up for sale since the end of last year.
A notice has been posted on the door of the former fine dining institution outlining the ‘legal rights’ of the squatters. Signed by ‘the occupiers’, the note claims that since the group did not take over a residential building, they are acting legally.
The note also claims they will take legal action against anyone who tries to enter, reading: ‘if you attempt to enter by violence or by threatening violence we will prosecute you.’
Calling themselves the ‘Camden Art Cafe’, the squatters have put out a statement outlining their intentions for the space, which they say will be an open space for the ‘people of Camden who have been the victims of gentrification.’
They aim to provide free food and clothes, as well as turning the former restaurant into an art studio and exhibition space. Through social media posts, they have called for people to join them in the former gastropub.
A recent post on the Camden Art Cafe Instagram account suggests the cafe may have been shut down by the police on 16 April but it is unclear if the squatters are still occupying the building.
Ramsay, the star of countless TV-shows and head of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, has not yet made a statement following the events but it was reported that he was the one to call the police on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police explained that although it is not technically a crime to occupy an empty commercial building, they could take action if the occupier committed any other crimes, such as causing damage to the building.
The property was originally bought by film actor and director Gary Love, who leased the property to Ramsay on a 25-year-long contract for £640,000 per year. The celebrity chef was entangled in a public dispute regarding this deal since the pub closed down in March 2024.
In other news, a giant kitchen ‘cube’ is coming to West London, offering spaces for hundreds of ghost kitchens aimed at food delivery services.
