Garath Kerr at Cafe Kick

By AMY REID

TRADERS say they fear for their businesses after a Town Hall team told them to put away the outdoor tables in a street famous for al fresco drinks and dinners.

Council officers told bars and restaurants in Exmouth Market to remove some of their tables and chairs last month to comply with street trading regulations – threatening £800 fines to those who didn’t.

The clampdown comes at the same time Sir Sadiq Khan has attempted to encourage more outdoor drinks in the capital, with the Mayor of London having waded into the row over licensing in Soho.

Businesses in the Clerkenwell street say similar support should be shown to them given it is an established destination for evenings out – especially during a long summer of heatwave nights.

Garath Kerr, owner of the long-running Cafe Kick, said: “They’ve come down and completely from one day to the next said, ‘you can no longer do what you’ve been doing for the last five years’.”

He was told the council was acting following some complaints, but Mr Kerr said there should have been a “dialogue” with traders rather than threats of financial penalties.

Islington’s officers returned a week after their first visit to advise traders on applying for pavement licences and gave them a two-week grace period from restrictions.

The Clerkenwell street is not fully pedestrianised but is known for its al fresco table service and high concentration of independent businesses.

Cafe Kick was named the best bar in London for 2026 by Time Out on the same day of another enforcement visit on 29th July.

Mr Kerr, who has run the bar for almost 30 years and lived above it for around 20, said the street’s convention of outdoor table service was born out of necessity during the Covid pandemic but then “completely transformed” the market for the better.

The council softened its approach to outdoor seating to allow trading during the pandemic, and Mr Kerr said traders felt they had come to a “gentleman’s agreement” with the Town Hall after the coronavirus restrictions eased and businesses continued with outdoor table service.

Pre-pandemic, Saturday was Cafe Kick’s worst trading day whereas now it is its best.

“Because they’ve allowed this organic growth of the street, rightly or wrongly, we did think they were doing it on purpose,” he said.

Mr Kerr told the Tribune that old regulations required a gap of 0.8 metres between tables.

Now, a full two metres is required, which he deems unworkable for the narrow street.

“I’m not saying they’re completely wrong about what they want to achieve. But you don’t start with enforcement, you start with dialogue,” he said.

Mr Kerr said that although the council has offered the future promise of pedestrianisation as an “olive branch”, the impact of street trading clampdowns in the meantime could spell the end of the market street’s independent character.

“To expect teeny little businesses to cash flow something for even more than two weeks, it’s incredible,” he said. “It’s like, you don’t understand what ‘small business’ means.”

Mr Kerr said the traders adhered to the council’s restrictions last Friday and the street was like a “ghost town”, adding: “Within half an hour of us going back to how it was previously, it was again buzzing, vibing, beautiful. Kind of European, continental, al fresco. All the things that the Mayor of London’s talking about.

“The risk that they run is that you end up with this beautiful pedestrianised street in the future, but it’s going to be full of multinational massive businesses and you’re going to end up with another Carnaby Street.”

Mr Kerr emailed councillors, Sir Sadiq and new prime minister Andy Burnham last week explaining the situation and said the council’s response has been “pretty positive”.

The manager of a pub on the street, who did not want us to publish their name, said: “It feels as if they’re quite officious about it. I understand the council has rules to uphold, but it’s frustrating when you feel like you’re in opposition to them rather than working together to come up with solutions that are mutually beneficial.”

Cafe Kick in Exmouth Market

Adelaide Robinson, manager of tapas restaurant Morito, said: “The sadness is if you crack down on independent businesses trying to make money, which is harder than it’s ever been, what they will be replaced with is a bunch of McDonald’s, Barclays and KFCs.

“If we got our outdoor seating taken away during the summer, we would have to close. It’s like going to Greece and saying no tourists can fly in in the summer.

“We have about 10 or 12 golden weekends a year, which don’t make us rich – they allow us to stay open for the rest of the year.”

Clerkenwell councillor Giulio Ferrini said: “Several of the shopkeepers on Exmouth Market wrote to me this week, worried about Labour’s enforcement plans. Exmouth Market is an amazing community asset. As Greens, we’re keen to work collaboratively rather than punitively with shopkeepers and residents on initiatives like timed pedestrianisation, to make sure that the street works for everyone.”

Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, said: “I absolutely love Exmouth Market. My family and I go there all the time. It was until recently one of Islington’s hidden gems, but now Cafe Kick has been rated as London’s best bar by Time Out I’d expect trade to increase in the area and the council to support this.

“The summer is also a vital period for the hospitality industry and when it’s as hot as it is this year, people are going to want to sit outside. In all the circumstances I would expect that whilst outstanding pavement licence applications are being considered the status quo will be allowed to continue.

“It’s been going on for years now and given the reality of Exmouth Market, with its very restricted vehicle access, I would hope that the rules on proximity to “a road” will be applied pragmatically and in a way that supports these small but mighty businesses.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “We recognise the vital contribution that Exmouth Market’s independent businesses make to the local economy and the area’s unique character.

“As we regularly do across the borough, our Street Trading team has reminded businesses in Exmouth Market of the existing rules and encouraged them to comply with them.

“We have not taken any formal enforcement action in relation to tables and chairs licensing at Exmouth Market. Those wishing to trade with tables and chairs outside are free to apply for a licence and several businesses have done so in recent weeks. We will continue to work with traders to support understanding and compliance, while taking a fair and consistent approach for businesses, residents and other users of the street.”