Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant says its cuisine and century-old cultural legacy have not been given sufficient weight as the Crown Estate plans to redevelop its Regent Street premises.
Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, has accused the Crown Estate of failing to recognise the cultural significance of Indian cuisine as the Michelin-starred establishment fights to retain its historic home in central London.
Ranjit Mathrani, chairman of Veeraswamy’s parent company MW Eat, said the decision not to renew the restaurant’s lease appeared to reflect a wider failure to regard Indian food on the same footing as European cuisines.
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Mathrani told The Telegraph that Indian cuisine may not have been considered sufficiently important in the Crown Estate’s view of gastronomy
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He suggested that a similarly prominent French or British restaurant might have received different treatment
The Crown Estate disputes that interpretation. It says the issue is linked to the planned refurbishment of Victory House, a Grade II-listed building on Regent Street, rather than the cuisine served by its tenant.
The estate plans to bring the building back into full use following flood damage in 2023 and convert parts of it for office use. Changes to the ground-floor entrance would prevent Veeraswamy from continuing at the site. The Crown Estate says it has offered assistance in finding alternative premises in its West End portfolio, along with financial compensation.
Veeraswamy has occupied the location since 1926 and celebrated its centenary this year. Over the decades, it has become closely associated with London’s culinary and cultural history and has welcomed royalty, political figures and international visitors. It received a Michelin star in 2016.
The dispute is expected to return to court in November. MW Eat maintains that removing the restaurant would mean losing more than a long-standing tenant, arguing that its location and history form part of London’s shared British-Indian heritage.
