Benugo is withdrawing its bid to take over a family-run Parliament Hill cafe on London's Hampstead Heath, following a backlash from local people.
Ben Warner, founder of Benugo, has released this statement, “We were delighted to have been chosen to run this prestigious venue – as a user of the park and someone who lives nearby, it was a proud moment for me, personally.
'However, having listened to the opinions of local residents and people who use the Heath, many of whom are existing customers of ours, we have paused to reconsider our position.
'Having given this a lot of thought I, and my colleagues at Benugo, now firmly believe that the right thing to do is to step aside. We will also be withdrawing from the opportunity to operate the two other nearby venues within the North London Parks, Golders Hill and Highgate Wood .
We’ve listened, and are responding in the way we think is best for all. I would like to thank everyone who has engaged with us on this issue, and also, to wish all users of the Heath, and the future operators of these venues, the very best.”