Veeraswamy: UK's oldest curry house could close over lease row
The UK's oldest curry house, which reaches its centenary next year, is at risk of closure over a lease dispute.Situated on London's Regent Street, Michelin-starred Veeraswamy has seen the likes of Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Ghandi and the Prince of Wales walk through its doors - which are now the subject of dispute with its owners, the Crown Estate.The issue involves an 11 sq m (120 sq ft) space at the entrance of Victory House, where the Indian restaurant occupies four floors, according to its chairman.The Crown Estate said it needed to remove the restaurant's entrance as it had limited options available on how it could carry out a "comprehensive refurbishment" of Victory House.
Royal beer tradition
The restaurant's co-owner Ranjit Mathrani said: "This is a unique and legendary institution, one of very few examples of a restaurant being in the same location for such a long period of time."Veeraswamy was created in Victory House on the same day the late queen was born, on 21 April 1926. It is also believed to be the birth place of the tradition of having a beer with Indian food, started by Prince Axel of Denmark who used to dine there in the 1920s. Mr Mathrani added: "It's more than just a restaurant, it is a living institution and part of the British love for India."The restaurant's lease comes to an end in June.Mr Mathrani said he was "astonished" when in June 2024, the Crown approached him to say the lease would not be renewed because the previous year they had asked if he wanted to take more space in the building.He said he turned down the offer as he was not convinced the restaurant needed the extra space."The situation came like a bolt out of the blue," he added.
Mr Mathrani said they took immediate legal action, due to it being a protected tenancy. He said they had the right to ask for a lease renewal for 14 years unless the landlord needed the property for its own use or if refurbishment works would be so damaging to the trade of tenant they would have to move out. He added a court hearing was expected to be held around March to June 2026, and that the restaurant would remain open until at least then."If we lose the court case, we hope to have time to move and find another space." A spokesperson for The Crown Estate said it had a "duty to generate value for the nation, while acting as responsible stewards for this historic part of London". "This includes a major upgrade to the offices and improving the entrance to make it more accessible. "We appreciate this is upsetting for Veeraswamy and have offered to help find new premises elsewhere on our portfolio having explored other options to accommodate their needs. "Veeraswamy has been a valued part of Regent Street for many years. We thank them and their customers for their contributions to the West End."
Mr Mathrani said they had gone to the Crown Estate with various proposals for an alternative solution, which had so far been rejected. "I think they have come to the view that we are a bit of a nuisance, which is why they want us to go."He added a petition was going to be launched due to "overwhelming" support they had received. "Veeraswamy brings heritage, variety and depth to Regent Street. There are cultural, historical and gastronomic reasons to keep Veeraswamy where it is."We sincerely hope the Crown Estate will come to recognise that we play a significant role and add lustre to their portfolio."I think it's very important London continues to have this institution and we will be distraught to not see it here," Mr Mathrani added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Nigel Farage reveals his vision and promises to Wales
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The 1851 census recorded that more people in Wales were employed in industry than in agriculture, a first for any country, meaning it has the claim to be the first industrial nation. And for a time, Wales was undeniably an industrial powerhouse. Wales once produced almost 60 million tons of coal per year and South Wales alone was the biggest coal exporter in the world. The Cardiff Coal Exchange set the global price for steam coal and Swansea smelted most of the world's copper. Merthyr Tydfil was the world's largest producer of iron and the Port Talbot Steelworks were once the largest steel plant in Europe. Much of that is now gone. Wales's economy lags the UK in jobs, wages & growth and the deindustrialisation of Wales means that GDP per capita is £10,000 less than the UK. For many years Welsh Labour blamed the Conservatives in Westminster for this and, in fact, for all other ills. However, the truth is that Labour are just as much as responsible, if not more so than the Tories. Since the first elections to the then Welsh Assembly in 1999, Labour has been in power in Cardiff Bay for 26 years, the longest term in government of any party in Europe. With Labour now holding office in Westminster, Welsh Labour have no one left to blame. Next May voters in Wales will get the opportunity to vote in the Senedd elections and have the opportunity to not only to pass judgment on Labour's track record but also decide on the future direction of the nation. They can choose from more of the same mismanaged decline from Labour, or they can vote for a party, Reform, that unashamedly wants to see Wales reindustrialise to prosper and grow. Labour closed Wales' only primary steel making furnaces, we want to open them in the long run. We have said and say again that we think it's better to use British coal for British steel than imported coal. Which is why we would allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales as part of Reform's long-term ambition to reopen the Port Talbot Steelworks but we know this will not be quick or easy. A Reform-run Senedd would also use Welsh Development Grants to support real industry. We'll redirect economic funding from consultants and NGOs to actual factory floors, machinery, and industrial jobs in places like Llanelli, Shotton, and Ebbw Vale. We'll also set up regional technical colleges teaching welding, plumbing, robotics, electrical trades, and industrial automation. Every young person who wants to work should have a path into a proper trade. More than that, we will change the way Wales is run. We will put the interests of the Welsh people first and make sure that local people go to the front of the social housing queue. We'd stop the use of any building for asylum seeker accommodation. We would end funding to the Wales Refugee Council and scrap the 'Nation of Sanctuary' for asylum seekers and any funding that goes with it. For WalesOnline's free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here A Reform UK Senedd will also save hundreds of millions each year by cutting bureaucracy, waste and bad management. The establishment of Welsh DOGE will help us uncover where there is woke and wasteful spending and we will make sure those funds are redirected to frontline services. People might say these are lofty ambitions for a party that currently has no representation in the Senedd, but its clear that the people of Wales want Reform. Our growth in Wales has been extraordinary. We now have almost 11,000 members and tens of thousands of supporters. We are winning Council by-elections in Wales with almost 50 per cent of the vote. The result in Scotland last week confirmed to us that we if we can do that well in Scotland, then we can win here in Wales. It also made clear that a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Labour, it's more obvious than ever before that the Tories can't win in Wales. The only party that can end Labour's 26 years of failure in Wales and put the nation on a better path is Reform and I am confident we can do it.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
UK's ‘outrageous' migrant hotel bill revealed & it takes every penny in tax from all people in city as big as MANCHESTER
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN'S £4.7billion annual bill to keep migrants in hotels and look after them takes every penny of tax from 582,000 workers. The shocking new statistic is equivalent to every grafter in Manchester stumping up for asylum seekers through their pay packet. 4 Britain's £4.7billion annual bill to keep migrants in hotels and look after them takes every penny of tax from 582,000 workers 4 The shocking new statistic is equivalent to every grafter in Manchester stumping up for asylum seekers through their pay packet Credit: Getty 4 Jamie Jenkins, who did the research, said: 'This isn't just unsustainable. It's outrageous' Credit: PA Jamie Jenkins, who did the research, said: 'This isn't just unsustainable. It's outrageous. "A government that borrows billions each year, can't control borders, and taxes its citizens to pay for hotel rooms and housing for people who've just arrived is not working for the British public. 'It's time for a system that protects the people who pay in. That rewards contribution. That puts citizens first." Latest figures show there were 32,345 asylum seekers staying in up to 220 hotel. It costs £41,000 a year to house each, up from £17,000 in 2020. Ex-Office for National Statistics analyst Mr Jenkins found the average UK salary was £38,224. Each worker pays income tax and National Insurance contributions of £8,081. So 582,000's entire tax bills go on housing migrants — equal to the working population of Manchester. And it is significantly larger than the employed populations of Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds. The total is also higher than the tax contributions of every UK mechanic and HGV driver combined. A total £4.7billion went on asylum support in 2023-24 — £3.1billion on accomodation. 13 migrants jumped from the back of a lorry at a Sainsbury's distribution centre in South East London The rest went on grants to local authorities, running sites like the disused Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, plus £49-a-week subsistence allowance. The £4.7billion total was up from 2022-23's £3.6bn. Nearly 15,000 people have crossed to Dover in 2025, up 42 per cent on this time year. French cops, given £480million of UK taxpayer cash, are failing to intercept them.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Florian Wirtz to Liverpool transfer agreement close with final £118m compromise
Liverpool are expected to make a fourth and final official offer to Bayer Leverkusen to sign playmaker Florian Wirtz, with a compromise over the transfer fee concluding talks Liverpool are expected to make a FOURTH and final offer to Bayer Leverkusen in order to find a compromise on a transfer fee for Florian Wirtz. Liverpool have been locked in talks with the German club over the signing of Wirtz for weeks and negotiations are finally reaching an end game. The Reds submitted a third official bid for the playmaker on Friday made up of £100million plus £13m in add-ons. That would represent a British transfer record, eclipsing the £106.8m Chelsea paid Benfica for Enzo Fernandez in February 2023, but is still short of Leverkusen's asking price. Leverkusen have been holding out for £126.4m from the very start of negotiations, which have been led by Reds sporting director Richard Hughes, but it now seems as though a compromise can finally be reached. The German side have already sold Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool for £29.5m and they have moved a step closer to receiving a major pay day from the Premier League champions. Leverkusen are expecting a fourth and final offer for Wirtz in the next 24 hours – and that they will shake hands for £118m. That is because Liverpool have made it clear that they won't go as high as £126m and Leverkusen don't want to overplay their hand. The club knows that Wirtz has his heart set on moving to Merseyside and that they need to cash in now. Considering Liverpool started out talks with a bid of £85m (€100m), Leverkusen will still be delighted with their business, if it does indeed get concluded. Wirtz, who could earn a whopping £355,000-a-week at Liverpool, is set to play for Germany in the Nations League third-place play-off against France in Stuttgart on Sunday and wants his future sorted soon. He chose Liverpool after holding talks with Bayern Munich and was impressed by the Reds' plans for him. HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Florian Wirtz be a success at Liverpool? Is he worth £118m? Comment below. If Liverpool do finally conclude talks with Leverkusen it will be the culmination of years of hard work. That's because former sporting director - and current Fenway Sports Group chief executive of football - Michael Edwards has been tracking him since 2020, when Wirtz was playing for Koln. Wirtz has been the stand-out player in the Bundesliga over the past few seasons, having helped Leverkusen win the title in 2023/24. The 22-year-old got 15 goals and 16 assists in 45 games across all competitions last season and is ready to leave Germany for a new challenge. Liverpool have money in the bank after a quiet summer before the 2024/25 season in which they brought in just one player: Federico Chiesa. However, with Frimpong signed and deals being negotiated for Wirtz and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, they know they must sell some players to balance the books. Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson and Chiesa are among those who could move on this summer after Caoimhin Kelleher completed his transfer to Brentford for £18m. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
