Elaine Loughran, landlady at the King William IV, and La Creperies's Edward de Mesquita

Published: 13 November, 2013
by PAVAN AMARA

THE popular Hampstead High Street crêpe stand has said it has been forced to close for half the week due to “class jealousy”.

Owner Edward de Mesquita opened La Crêperie 33 years ago and is familiar for drawing long queues, attracting schoolchildren, families and celebrities including model Kate Moss, and Hollywood stars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. 

On Sunday, teenage heartthrob Harry Styles, who is one fifth of boy band One Direction, popped in. 

But from now on La Crêperie will be open three days a week from 3pm and 9pm and at weekends because of a year-long dispute over storage space, which the crêperie had shared for decades with the King William IV pub before a dispute with current landlady Elaine Loughran.

In June, a “Save La Crêperie De Hampstead” petition was signed by 12,000 people. 

Mr de Mesquita, who hopes to become a Tory councillor in next May’s election, said: “We’re closing because success is a double-edged sword. There was a lot of jealousy, namely from the pub. I would say it is class jealousy. Not in terms of social class at all, I am not at all a snob in that sense, and none of that would ever bother me in the slightest. I mean a jealousy when it comes to the class of cuisine."

He added: “We are selling a very classy product, and this pub is jealous. It’s pure jealousy, and in the end that caused us to close full-time. We’ll have to operate more like a market stall, with no storage space and going to the Cash and Carry every morning. Our operations will be in a different league from before. Some of the most concerned people are very influential though, and may be able to pull a few strings in Hampstead, that gives me hope.”

Ms Loughran said: “He has about as much class as what he’s paid in bills over the last 30 years. All I asked for was a contribution towards the water bill and he wouldn’t pay it, so he cannot have our water and storage for free. If he’s closing, all I have to say is, ‘pay your bills, love’. I’ve got nothing more to say in response to any of his comments. They are so ridiculous that I don’t think they warrant a response.”

Jessica Learmond-Criqui, who started the petition to save the crêperie said Hampstead Village would see less footfall as a result.

She said: “Thousands came to Hampstead High Street just for a crêpe, so everyone will be affected. Edward’s had offers to go to Steele’s Village and Primrose Hill, because people appreciate the business La Crêperie brings to an area. People from America and Canada have been emailing me about the closure, they are so upset."

Ms Learmond-Criqui added: "It says something when Parisians are complaining about its closure, because apparently you don’t get crêpes like this anywhere. But La Crêperie does not want to leave Hampstead, we are hopeful for a solution.”