Veeraswamy, one of the world's oldest Indian restaurants, on Monday marks 100 years since it first opened its doors at Victory House on London’s Regent Street in March 1926, even as its battle to hold on to the iconic location in the city continues.
The Michelin-starred diner, with a rich history of guests including Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin, is celebrating the centenary with a celebratory re-creation of some of the dishes on the menu a century ago – served by staff in the classic uniform of the time.
However, the "Save Veeraswamy" campaign seeking the restaurant's lease renewal at Victory House from its landlord, the Crown Estate, casts a long shadow over the celebrations.
“If Veeraswamy can survive the (Second World War) Blitz, surely it can succeed in overturning an ill-considered redevelopment,” co-owners Ranjit Mathrani and sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi said in a joint statement.
“In an increasingly fractious and divided world, Veeraswamy survives as a beacon of civilisation, a place where people from all countries and all walks of life can meet and dine together in a spirit of mutual understanding and enjoyment, just as its founder envisaged a century ago,” they said.
The trio, behind MW Eat which runs the restaurant, were recently joined by staff anxious about their jobs in a march to Buckingham Palace with an over 20,000-strong petition appealing for King Charles III to intervene on their behalf with the Crown Estate – in charge of the British monarch's properties.
There is a court hearing expected towards the end of June, but the restaurateurs have stressed that they took the litigation route only as a last resort and have consistently called for discussions with the landlord to find a mutually beneficial arrangement – including a rent hike
“We would very much like to reach a compromise, but they have been completely uncaring and have shifted the grounds over the last year and half,” said Mathrani, adding that all plausible alternatives and solutions have been rebuffed by the landlord.
Veeraswamy was founded by Edward Palmer, the great grandson of General William Palmer who was the military and private secretary to Warren Hastings – the first Governor General of India – and Mughal Princess Faisan Nissa Begum. Palmer is said to have been greatly influenced by his great-grandmother when devising the first menu. His vision for the diner was one of a lavishly decorated Maharaja’s palace, with its current decor an ode to that vision of grandeur with its handwoven floral carpets and glass paintings from Rajasthan. A series of centenary events are being held this month against the bitter-sweet backdrop of staff on edge about the very real prospect of losing their jobs.
“The lease needs to be renewed to ensure the continued legacy of the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant that is loved by thousands for its rich cultural heritage and exceptional culinary excellence. It was opened by my great grandfather and holds a special place in my heart,” said one of the signatories to the online petition.
Veeraswamy’s lease expired at the end of June last year, leading to legal action under MW Eat’s protected tenancy rights as the “Save Veeraswamy” campaign gathered momentum in parallel.
The Crown Estate has maintained that it needs to carry out a “comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House to both bring it up to modern standards, and into full use”. “We understand how disappointing this is for MW Eat and have offered help to find new premises on our portfolio so that the restaurant can stay in the West End as well as financial compensation," a spokesperson said.
“The Crown Estate has a statutory responsibility to manage its land and property to create long term value for the UK and return its profit to the UK government for public spending.
“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. With external advice, we have reviewed alternative proposals including those put forward by MW Eat, and unfortunately there isn’t an alternate scheme which meets our responsibilities as stewards of this heritage listed building, our legal obligations and our responsibilities to manage public money,” the spokesperson said.
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