Squatters occupying Gordon Ramsay’s $16.1 million London pub have been ‘served papers’ — while some choose to stay inside the restaurant
Closing time in London.
Professional squatters who occupied Gordon Ramsay’s $16.1 million London pub have been evicted after being “served papers,” while part of the protest group appears to have chosen to stay inside the restaurant.
Members of the Camden Art Cafe, a self-described “self-run cafe in the heart of Camden,” announced that they were served papers on Tuesday ordering them to leave the celebrity chef’s York & Albany pub.
“We are sad to announce that the Camden Art Group has vacated the building after being served papers yesterday,” the group announced on Instagram. “We wish those remaining in the building the best of luck in their endeavours.”
The group of squatters, who are in their 20s, have used the pseudonym “Gordon” — a reference to the iconic chef — to protect their identities, according to the Independent.
The group said they had taken over the British restaurant as a form of protest for “victims of gentrification” and the country’s H2S high-speed rail line.
“We want to open our doors regularly to anyone and everyone, especially the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2,” the group said in an earlier social media post.
“We offer free food, drinks and a space to display their art without the paperwork that galleries require people to go through. We believe that we all deserve respect and that our art is ours.”
HS2, Britain’s second high-speed rail project, is planned to connect the village of Handsacre, in Staffordshire, to London, around 130 miles away.
The project is under construction and is expected to be completed between 2029 and 2033.
The squatters were forced to demolish their cafe — which was reportedly set up to feed the homeless — after they were served newspapers.
“Sorry to anyone who was coming here today. The cafe that served newspapers has been demolished!” the group said on Tuesday morning.
The group said they chose the upscale Ramsay destination in Camden because of the wealth gap in the London borough, and wanted to open the £16 million restaurant for everyone to enjoy.
“The York and Albany has been an iconic building in Camden since it opened in the 1820s; The building has withstood war and bombs, and despite what the media reports, it will survive the short but hopefully long time we squatters have here.
“At a time when Camden Market is being bought by a billionaire and many long-standing local businesses are being evicted from their units, it is even more important that we all come together in every form of resistance that we know and can do.”
The restaurant was closed when the squatters took over as the “Hell’s Kitchen” host worked to sign new partners in a multimillion-dollar deal.
“The pub was temporarily closed while he was finalizing a new lease, and during this handover, a group of professional squatters somehow got past all the security measures and surveillance cameras, and got inside themselves,” a source previously told the US Sun.
The group initially locked themselves inside the building using equipment taken directly from the kitchen.
They also told locals that the restaurant was their home, according to the newspaper.
The squatters threatened legal action against anyone who tried to force them out, saying they had a right to stay in the pub as it was a “non-residential building”.
A 2012 law made squatting a crime in England and Wales, as long as it took place inside a residential building, with a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or a fine.
“Please note that we are occupying this property and there will always be at least one occupier,” a legal notice posted outside the pub reads.
“If you attempt to enter by violence or threaten violence, we will prosecute you… You could be imprisoned for up to six months and/or fined up to £5,000 ($6,200).”
The police have remained distant from the issue, calling it a “civil matter” that must be dealt with in court.
