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In an open letter in \u2018The Times\u2019, well-known chefs and restaurateurs such as Cyrus Todiwala, Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux appealed to the Crown Estate, landlord of Victory House, which houses the Michelin-star restaurant for nearly 100 years since April 1926, to \u201cact responsibly\u201d.<\/p>\n
Last summer, Veeraswamy owners MW Eat were informed that its lease would not be renewed because the Crown Estate wants to extend the ground floor reception area for the offices on the building\u2019s upper floors.<\/p>\n
\nAlso read |<\/strong>\u00a0Why are people from Turkiye driving to Greece to shop for food? Find out<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The chefs write that converting \u201csuch a restaurant into offices would be sacrilege, representing a profound loss, both for London\u2019s restaurant scene and for our tourism economy, which thrives on the city\u2019s unique and diverse landmarks\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the Crown knows, heritage cannot be relocated, nor can history be replaced. Keeping Veeraswamy alive is an act of responsibility by the Crown worthy of London\u2019s reputation as one of the world\u2019s great dining and tourist cities,\u201d they say in the letter to the newspaper. \nThe Crown Estate is owned by the British monarch \u201cin right of the Crown\u201d, which means that the King owns the estate during his reign, though it is not his private property. Therefore, he does not directly manage or make decisions about its assets, and the estate pays its profits into the UK government\u2019s coffers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have nurtured it, nourished it, and kept it apace with the times. It\u2019s probably the oldest surviving restaurant in the world now with such a rich history, and will be a tragedy if it were to lose its location,\u201d said Ranjit Mathrani, whose MW Eat group with sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi operates other popular Indian diners in London, including Chutney Mary and Amaya.<\/p>\n
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