Farmer J wins approval for Holborn site after booze licence backlash
A branch of Farmer J at Cavendish Place. Image: Google
‘Healthy fast-casual’ food chain Farmer J is to open its twelfth London outlet in Bloomsbury after acting on resident’s concerns over disturbances.
The restaurant’s proposed original licensing period coincided with its opening hours, which technically meant it could sell alcohol as early as 7.30am.
Police had requested this be changed to 9am, which a representative for the restaurant, operations head Stefano Spallanzani, said had been complied with.
The legal counsel said the application is only to “offer a very limited number of alcoholic drinks”, comprising three wines in 250ml cans and two 440ml cans of beer.
Another resident had objected that the new restaurant “does not align with the character of the neighbourhood” owing to the “residential nature” of the area.
But the licensing panel approved the application, with the condition that diners were given a thirty minute warning to drink up before closing time.
Another condition was that the restaurant implement the council’s Women’s Safety principles.
Farmer J’s owners had successfully bid to lease a unit owned by Imperial Hotels off Russell Square.
The hotel welcomed the “high quality” food that would provide nourishment for its guests, given that the hotel does not have its own restaurant.
Sushil Vashisht, who lives at Woburn Court sharing a wall with the new premises, said that the hotel was also guilty of not notifying residents of building works which transformed an old bank building into a “shell”.
His concerns focused on the new restaurant’s exits leading to more overcrowding in an already congested area, another recurring objection made by locals.
“Anyone who’s been to that area can attest to the amount of footfall, traffic, people crowding, tourists walking around with wheelie suitcases. This is not the right move to make,” he said.
He added: “If they are so supportive of the application, why doesn’t the hotel allow entrance through its own premises?”
Other residents were “offended” that neighbours were not consulted as part of the application. The legal representative for the restaurant said this was the fault of an IT issue.