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The popular Buttery café at Burgh House |
Booze sales? We can’t believe it’s the Buttery!
IN ONE corner is the Heath and Hampstead Society, the conservation group known for its blanket objection to any pub in Hampstead looking to extend its opening hours. In the other corner is the Burgh House café that is the society’s favoured meeting place, and which is managed by many of the leading lights of the conservation group.
The Buttery, the basement eaterie of the Queen Anne building that houses the Hampstead Museum, has applied for an alcohol licence. They are also seeking permission to play music – prompting a spate of objections from people living nearby and one from the society itself, who fear concerts in the garden will lead to boozy nights and disturb the peace and quiet of the New End area.
Michael Lee, of the Flask Walk Residents Association, said they did not want the house to be granted a live music licence, nor be able to sell alcohol without food.
“We fear it could change the character of the Buttery, as well as detract from the attractiveness of other local pubs if they can sell alcohol without food,” he added.
Burgh House trustee Tony Gilchik, who is also the vice chairman of the Heath and Hampstead Society, says the schism is simply a misunderstanding, and that he hoped to iron out the issue at a meeting due to take place last night (Wednesday).
He said the Buttery café had always had a licence and the new application simply came about because new management had taken over.
Mr Gilchik said: “We are not applying for anything more than what we have had in the past.”
He said that the application, which included a request to play music, would not change how the café had always been run.
“Music-wise, the people running the Buttery simply want some low background music in the café played through an iPod,” Mr Gilchik said.
Matthew Lewin, the chairman of the Burgh House trustees, said: “Nothing will change and we are always there to talk to people who may want more information. These fears are unfounded.”
The Town Hall’s licensing committee will consider the application next week. |
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