Hampstead gets another creperie: War of words over second high street van

Elinor James
Rival creperies in Hampstead Village. - Credit: Hampstead Village Voice
La Creperie de Hampstead, which has served the village for 40 years, now has competition after a rival opened just metres away.
On Friday, the King William IV pub in Hampstead High Street opened its own crepe stand in a pop-up tent.
The rival was back again on Saturday, having moved even closer to La Creperie de Hampstead than its position on Friday.
The Ham&High understands a Hampstead street trader approached the pub about opening the stall but it has not yet been confirmed what days it will operate.
READ MORE: Heath swimmers call on Ponds bosses to avoid 'disproportionate' price increases
The pub says they have applied to the council for licencing permission and say they are following council rules on coronavirus restrictions.
You may also want to watch:
Redouane Ait Iich, manager at La Creperie de Hampstead, said the appearance of the new stall caused confusion for customers.
He said: “First they didn’t give us any notice, nothing, and, we were surprised. The first time when I saw them was on Friday, everybody thought it was us, a second one, and I said: ‘I never planned to do this. This is not us.’
Most Read
- 1 Teenager dies after stabbing in Archway
- 2 Ole & Steen bakery set to open in Hampstead's former Café Rouge
- 3 Man detained after series of attacks on women in Hampstead
- 4 Royal Free calls in the army as 'unprecedented' demand continues
- 5 The snow is beautiful and fun - but during Covid we must stick to the rules
- 6 Pictures: Fun for families as the snow arrives on Hampstead Heath
- 7 South Hampstead neighbours mourn tree felled by Storm Christoph
- 8 Buyers claim luxury flats are 'nightmare' construction site
- 9 Crouch End's 'Paul the Paper' bids farewell to Broadway stall
- 10 Camden, Haringey and Barnet mark Holocaust Memorial Day
“And I learned that this was from the pub.
“Of course they can open a business, they can do whatever they want, we are in lockdown time, but they have a lot of ideas, and they decide to do a creperie? Hampstead Creperie is famous.
“People are waiting for half an hour just to be served. We had a lot of customers who were waiting for two queues. We were sorry that they had to wait half an hour there and half an hour with us.”
Jimmy McGrath, owner of the King William IV pub, said: “[Creperie de Hampstead] has had the benefit of everyone else having to close during lockdown, whereas they’ve been trading throughout, then (when) someone who is in a situation where he can’t open his business at all, seeks to do something to supplement his income, for the benefit of the survival of the pub, and to provide a service, (people) come down on him like a tonne of bricks.
“The cake’s big enough for everybody – that queue goes for miles. No one’s put off - arguably it was attracting people.”