Ranjit Mathrani, 83, chairman of MW Eat which owns the 100-year-old Veeraswamy restaurant on Regent Street, London, fears being “airbrushed out of history” if the Crown Estate successfully kicks them out of their original home. The restaurant is in a legal battle with its landlord, the Crown Estate, and had its court showdown postponed this week.
Owner's emotional plea
Mr Mathrani said he has shed “blood, sweat and tears” over the restaurant, which faces being turned into offices. He told the Daily Star: “It's a legendary institution where people come from all around the world to it and it represents the best of the combination of British Britain and India intertwined. It is a gastronomic jewel and therefore it will be a tragedy of the highest order for something like this to be airbrushed out of history.”
Mr Mathrani started MW Eat in 1989 with his wife Namita Mathrani, also running it with his sister-in-law Camellia Panjabi. He has been running the food spot since 1996. The co-owner said: “We put a lot into it at all levels but we can't do a place like this without actually going the extra mile to do what you can. Therefore it involves emotion, it involves passion, blood, sweat, and tears. And therefore, it means an enormous amount to us and it will be a tragedy on a personal level and emotional level if we were to face expulsion.”
Court case delayed
The restaurant was due to clash with the Crown Estate earlier this week in court, but a judge said the five-day court battle has been delayed due to “administrative reasons”. Mr Mathrani said new dates would be given, but due to prior commitments of legal teams and expert witnesses, it is unlikely to be before late autumn this year.
Earlier this year, Mr Mathrani and his wife delivered a 20,000-signature petition to Buckingham Palace requesting King Charles III intervene to keep the Veeraswamy open.
Crown Estate's response
The Crown Estate has said it offered to help find a new home for the restaurant. A spokesman said: “We need 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.”
