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A swanky London pub and boutique hotel owned by renowned British chef Gordon Ramsay has been taken over by a gang of squatters who are threatening legal action if they attempt to evict the property, according to reports. The price is 13 million. Pound Sterling (about $16.2 million)
On the front pages tomorrow: Gordon Ramsay's £13million pub occupiers take over with brazen gang even threatening legal action against TV chef https://t.co/ sissyDpr8B pic.twitter.com/EQozVJRX7C
– The Sun (@TheSun) 12 April 2024
Excerpt from UK Sun report:
The gang, said to be made up of at least six “professional squatters”, used Ramsay's own kitchen equipment to barricade themselves inside and stuck the locks shut.
Photos show the venue's luxurious bar area – which was temporarily closed for the handover – looking like a tip, with debris strewn everywhere and a squatter crashed on a leather sofa.
Ramsay, 57, was about to sign a multi-million pound lease to new partners when the gang burst into the York and Albany pub and boutique hotel near Regent's Park in central London.
The TV chef – who was embroiled in a legal battle over the venue in 2015 – called the police last Wednesday, but was unable to remove the squatters from the 19th-century building.
erosion
They have also pasted a legal notice on the front door, stating that they are entitled to live there as it is “a non-residential building”.
They claim that the law that prevents squatting is not applicable because it was “not designed or adapted for use as a living space, before the time of our admission”.
Incredibly, they then threaten legal action, suggesting that if anyone tried to enter “through violence” they could be jailed for six months.
They warn: “Please note that this property is occupied by us and is always occupied by at least one person at all times.
“Therefore any entry or attempted entry into these premises without our permission is a criminal offense insofar as any person among us who is in physical possession opposes such entry without our permission.
“If you try to enter by using violence or threatening violence we will prosecute you.
“You may be jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to £5,000.”
The note, signed by “the occupiers”, also warned: “If you wish to evict us you will have to issue a claim for possession in the County Court or High Court.”
End part. For more information including photographs of the encroachers, please read the full Sun report at this link.
Background on the property (excerpted) via Yahoo!Life/The Evening Standard:
The historic Regent's Park pub, which was the center of a court battle between Gordon Ramsay and the building's owner, is on the market with a guide price of £13 million.
Film director and actor Gary Love purchased the freehold of the abandoned former coaching inn from the Crown Estate in 2007. He leased the premises to the celebrity chef for a period of 25 years where Mr Ramsay opened the York and Albany Hotel and Gastropub.
Mr Ramsay claimed that the signatures on the lease for the premises were effectively forged, alleging that his father-in-law, who was CEO of his company at the time, had used a ghostwriter machine to sign his name on a document. which made them personally liable for the rent.
Mr. Ramsay failed in his task and remained tied to the leash.
Ramsay's website lists the restaurants he owns around the world:
Now internationally renowned and with 7 Michelin stars, Ramsay has opened many successful restaurants around the world, from Singapore to the United States. These include one at Le Pressoir d'Argent in Bordeaux; six restaurants in Las Vegas (including Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen at Caesars Palace, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips at The Links, Gordon Ramsay Steak at The Paris, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace and Gordon Ramsay Burgers at Planet Hollywood); two restaurants in Atlantic City (Gordon Ramsay Steak at Harrah's and Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars); two ventures into Versailles (Gordon Ramsay au Trianon and La Veranda); Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay in Dubai; Bread Street Kitchen in Sanya, China and Bread Street Kitchen in Singapore.
In the UK, Gordon Ramsay restaurants have locations in major cities including London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool. These include iconic brands like Lucky Cat, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, Bread Street Kitchen, Hayden Street Kitchen, Street Pizza and Street Burger.
More from Ramsay, who is 57:
While Ramsay is now best known as a celebrity chef, he is also successful in many other ventures outside of food and television. Most notably as a published author, Ramsay has released numerous books, many of which have become worldwide bestsellers; Which also includes his autobiography, Roasting in Hell's Kitchen. Additionally, Ramsey has a global partnership with WWRD (Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton), offering quality home and lifestyle products as well as HEXCLAD high-performance cookware.
In 2006, in recognition of the contribution Ramsay has made to the industry, he received an OBE (Order of the British Empire awarded by Queen Elizabeth II). Since then, Ramsay and his wife Tana founded the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation in 2014 to create meaningful change at charities important to them. You can learn more about the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation here.
Now, Ramsay divides his time between Los Angeles and South London, where he lives with his wife, Tana, and six children, their dogs, cats, and turtles.
Ironically, Ramsay was the host of the reality show Hotel Hell which ran for three seasons from 2012-2016. Ramsey attempted to revive dilapidated establishments such as Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: