Overview

• The Home Office has formally applied to revoke the café’s premises licence over breaches of immigration and public safety requirements.
• Immigration officers uncovered seven undocumented workers from Albania and Egypt during inspections between 2019 and 2024 and the operator was fined £10,500 in 2020 and £135,000 in April 2025 for illegal hiring.
• In May, joint enforcement with police and trading standards resulted in the seizure of 45 unlabelled tubs of shisha tobacco and the discovery of unauthorised smoking in the basement.
• Café owners have proposed a three-month suspension while rolling out enhanced right-to-work checks, hiring security staff, upgrading CCTV and providing staff training.
• The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea licensing committee will hear the revocation application on Thursday with input from the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Trading Standards.