Haggerston cafe’s booze licence survival plan sparks concern from neighbours

Bread & Butter cafe on Enfield Road. Image: Google

Residents have objected to a Haggerston cafe’s bid to sell alcohol and stay open later over fears it will ruin families’ “quiet evenings” and pose a risk to children.

The owner of Bread & Butter on Enfield Road recently sought a booze licence from the local authority and asked permission to extend the venue’s operating hours until 11pm every night except Sunday.

“We are trying to survive, basically,” said owner Leyla Ozyurt.

“With rising costs and ongoing financial pressure, we recently started exploring new ways to sustain our small business.

“That’s why we decided to open in the evenings as a small, family-run restaurant – not as a pub or bar,” she said.

Ms Ozyurt insisted that there would be “no bar-style service, loud music, and no-one standing around drinking”.

But local parents and neighbours issued “strong” objections to the owner’s bid.

Resident David Schneider said there was a risk of “rowdy behaviour” and highlighted the premises’ location on the ground floor of “quiet” residential building, surrounded by family homes and a stone’s throw from the nearby Hackney New Primary School.

“Children should not be regularly exposed to adult social environments involving alcohol, particularly late in the evening and directly beneath their homes,” he said.

Schneider added that even if the cafe owner were to manage the venue “responsibly”, this did not guarantee that any future proprietor would behave in the same way.

“Once granted, the licence becomes extremely difficult to reverse.”

He was supported by another Enfield Road resident, Dennis, who was concerned about disorderly behaviour from patrons drinking alcohol, smoking and vaping, and “children getting intimidated”.

Others sent in objections to the council anonymously, raising the alarm over late-night noise and disturbance, crime, and the risk of “exposing children to alcohol-related activity”.

Many also complained they had not received a letter notifying them of the licensing application, and had only become aware once they saw the written request pinned to the cafe’s door.

Ms Ozyurt said Bread & Butter had been “part of the community for over 12 years” and argued that another premises she owned was licensed and this had not caused any issues.

But she conceded that, to limit the risk of noise and littering, she would be “happy” to close the cafe’s outdoor seating area by 8pm.

“I don’t want to disturb anyone,” she said, but added that Hackney was “not a quiet area, it’s a lively community”.

Schneider said he would accept patrons being outside until 8pm, but only if there was no alcohol being served on the premises at all.

The licensing committee is expected to publish its decision this week.