Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s lament for the untrendy cafe reflects a view held by some that the operators of cafes on Hampstead Heath should never change (I’m sick of avocado toast – I just want to keep my local, untrendy cafe, 12 January). It is a position rooted more in nostalgia than in the practical realities of managing public assets – and it overlooks several inconvenient facts.
The long-standing reliance on short-term arrangements limited the cafes’ ability to invest in buildings, facilities and staff. This had to change. Moving to longer leases is not about change for its own sake, but about providing stability: enabling investment, fair pay and a sustainable future for customers.
