A pair of famous creperies – popular with celebrities such as Harry Styles, Kate Moss and Kelly Brook – have been shut down by council officers in Hampstead under Covid regulations.
The La Creperie de Hampstead pancake truck has sold the French delicacy in the upmarket north London neighbourhood for 40 years.
Former One Direction star Styles and models Moss and Brook are known to like the crepes, as does Kimberley Walsh from pop group Girls Aloud – while Hollywood A-listers Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis visited the small crepe shack on a trip to London.
But due to concerns over customers not adhering to social distancing, Camden Council ordered La Creperie de Hampstead and its pancake rival based outside the King William IV pub next door to cease trading.
A pair of famous creperies, popular with celebrities, have been shut down by council officers in Hampstead under Covid regulations. Above, the two rival stalls – La Creperie de Hampstead (right) and a creperie tent (left), which was opened by owners of the adjacent William IV pub
Camden Council claims the queues and crowds in the area (above) pose ‘a serious and imminent threat to public health’
Kimberley Walsh (l), from pop group Girls Aloud, and her partner Justin Scott, tuck into crepes on Hampstead High Street. Models Kate Moss and Kelly Brook are also known to like the takeaways – while Hollywood A-listers Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis visited La Creperie de Hampstead on a trip to London. (Right, Moss with her then-husband Jamie Hince on the high street in 2013)
Former One Direction star Harry Styles is among the celebrities who have enjoyed the crepe stalls in the upmarket neighbourhood. (He is pictured outside La Creperie de Hampstead in 2013)
The creperies say that they have put in social distancing measures and asked customers to wear masks. The owners claim they cannot be held accountable for the public’s transgressions
Takeaway outlets have become popular during the lockdown – with most restaurants and eateries having to close.
However, the council claims the queues and crowds in the Hampstead area pose ‘a serious and imminent threat to public health’.
It said it had ‘no option but to ask these businesses to stop trading’.
The creperies say that they have put in social distancing measures and asked customers to wear masks.
The owners claim they cannot be held accountable for the public’s transgressions.
Rédouane Ait Iich, manager of La Crêperie de Hampstead, said he feels ‘harassed’ by the council.
‘They have come to inspect the creperie two or three times a week – each time with different rules,’ he said.
![Rédouane Ait Iich, manager of La Crêperie de Hampstead, said he feels 'harassed' by the council. 'They [Camden Council] have come to inspect the creperie two or three times a week - each time with different rules,' he said](https://i2.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/29/11/38630230-9201213-image-a-35_1611920755528.jpg?resize=634%2C473&ssl=1)
Rédouane Ait Iich, manager of La Crêperie de Hampstead, said he feels ‘harassed’ by the council. ‘They [Camden Council] have come to inspect the creperie two or three times a week – each time with different rules,’ he said
Chloe Madeley (right) – daughter of TV presenters Richard and Judy – was seen picking up a crepe in Hampstead last November
‘We have increased the queue distancing, put in mask signs and screens, and got a Covid marshal.
‘We know the pandemic is serious, we take it seriously and follow all the rules. We have done everything that is possible to keep people safe, but still we have been closed.
‘We do not know how long we will have to close. This is a very difficult time for businesses.
‘Our creperie is 40 years old and famous. If they close us, how many more small businesses will have to close?’
Meanwhile, the creperie in the garden of the King William IV pub – which opened last year – believes the case could have far-reaching consequences.
A Camden Council spokesman said: ‘The large queues coming from both these businesses, together with a lack of social distancing and face coverings being worn, were causing congestion on the pavement and presenting a serious and imminent threat to public health’
Robert Griffiths QC, who is representing the pub, said: ‘This does raise some major issues in terms of the way the Government guidance is being applied by local authorities.
‘It is a genuine situation of injustice. The closure order is a pretty draconian step to take. They were given little warning.
‘The idea that you can close a commercial entity down based on customers’ behaviour is taking it too far.’
Kelly Brook is also known to have visited the crepe stall area. While La Creperie de Hampstead has been operating for decades, the William IV pub launched a stand called ‘La Creperie’ in a tent in November
A Camden Council spokesman said: ‘The large queues coming from both these businesses, together with a lack of social distancing and face coverings being worn, were causing congestion on the pavement and presenting a serious and imminent threat to public health.
‘Unfortunately, we had no option but to ask these businesses to stop trading, despite our efforts to work with them to resolve these problems.
‘We’d like to remind all our residents that the risk of catching and spreading Covid-19 remains very high – and we are asking people to stay at home apart from absolutely essential reasons to save lives and protect the NHS.’
While La Creperie de Hampstead has been operating for decades, the William IV pub launched a stand called ‘La Creperie’ in a tent in November.
A row broke in December between the stalls, with La Creperie de Hampstead accusing the pub of giving them no notice and confusing its normal customers.
But the pub hit back, saying critics had come down on them ‘like a tonne of bricks’ despite them just trying to supplement their income to help the venue survive.
Conflict between the two dates back to 2013, when the pub issued a bailiff notice demanding La Creperie de Hampstead removed a storage fridge located in the pub.
At the time, La Creperie de Hampstead reluctantly backed down and cleared their stock out of the fridge and a kitchen area located in the pub’s garden.
Police had to get involved at the time because the feud became so hostile, with officers speaking to staff at both business in July that year.
Ban-cake day? Police break up huge crowds at the two crepe stalls
The decision by Camden Council comes after police were forced to break up huge crowds that gathered outside the two stalls at the start of the new year.
Dozens of people were pictured queuing on Saturday, January 2, for an afternoon snack on Hampstead high street.
Officers arrived at the scene in a police van at about 5pm after concerns were raised about the crowds, but they found no evidence of any breaches of Covid-19 laws.
Hundreds of people queued on Saturday, January 2, for an afternoon snack at the two crepe stalls
Motorist Gary Wilton tweeted two pictures of queues wrapped around the pub which meant pedestrians walking in the area had to move into the road to get past.
He tweeted: ‘Are these people in a line to get a crepe or Covid? No masks, no social distancing. #Hampstead #CovidIdiots #NHS.’
And author David Aaronovitch added: ‘Don’t laugh, but the police had to break up a crowd in Hampstead at the weekend that had gathered around two crepe vans. Actually DO laugh.’