One of London's oldest restaurants is fighting for survival after a face-off with its landlords. Yesterday Simpson's Tavern in the City issued an appeal and began a crowfunding campaign to help it fight demands by its landlords over unpaid rent. The issue arose over rent arrears that happened over the lockdowns when the City was a ghost town.
In a post they explain; "For 265 years we have stood, undaunted by fire, flood, world wars, plague (or pandemic – you choose) and even Liz Truss’s premiership. Today though we have been forced into closure by the actions of a cynical landlord. Carelessly removing a centuries old City of London institution."
Last week the landlords apparently changed the locks on the restaurant, leaving food going bad in its fridges and the staff locked out. Benjamin Duggan, its manager, told CityAM, "They are utterly unwilling to engage. We are a solvent business, so we can pay down our debt with a reasonable horizon, which is what most landlords have responded to this issue." It seems that, instead, the landlords have demanded rent in full.
Simpson's first opened its doors way back in 1757 and has been a mainstay of City life since then, serving up Barnsley chops and mixed grills to workers. We have to admire anywhere that has a slow cooked pork belly with crackling on its starter section. Most recently it was reviewed in The Times by critic Giles Coren who loved "that its vibe is richly ancient without the alienating thrum of privilege. It’s the wood, brass and red paint of the Lyons’ Corner House or guildhall rather than the Pall Mall club or Oxford college. It’s very smart in an urgent, clerical, Cockney, rooted way. It’s the very best of old London Town."
We think it's an actual scandal to be able to close down one of London's historic and longstanding institutions so casually without being challenged in any way. If you want to help Simpsons raise the funds to launch a legal appeal, you can do so on their Crowdfunding page here.
More about Simpson's Tavern
Where is it? 38 1/2 Cornhill, London EC3V 9DR
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @simpsonstavern
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