Locals have rallied around the managers of a south London pub, who were told to leave by Heineken’s pub arm after investing more than £150,000 to restore it.
A petition calling on Star Pubs, part of Heineken UK, to allow the managers of the much-loved Park Tavern in Southfields to remain at the venue has gained more than signatures.
Amir Matinahmadi, from the pub’s leaseholder MFM Pub Group, said they had carried out works totalling more than £150,000 to restore the historic building back into a community hub after it fell into disrepair under previous management.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that things had taken a turn for the worse when the pub’s freeholder, Star Pubs, took over the pub in October 2024 under a tied tenancy, where the tenant must buy stock directly from the landlord company, which Mr Matinahmadi claimed made it difficult for them to operate.
He claimed that Star Pubs had repeatedly withheld the pub’s beer orders when it was behind on rent, and then fined management for ordering stock from elsewhere to keep the venue trading, including a recent fine of £3,500.
“It’s just constantly fighting, in an environment where you’re already struggling, and you have to deal with this,” Mr Matinahmadi added.
Star Pubs told the LDRS it was not possible for MFM to remain at the pub due to “serious issues” during their tenure, and that it had received interest from other operators hoping to take it on.
MFM’s tenancy had been due to expire anyway in June this year, but, Mr Matinahmadi said they were given “false hope” that it would be renewed during informal negotiations with Star Pubs and claimed the firm had dealt with them in bad faith. Star Pubs served MFM with a section 25 notice opposing the renewal of the lease and later asked management to leave the pub by August 5.
Mr Matinahmadi said MFM is disputing that the tenancy has ended as no court proceedings for possession have been issued. He said the prospect of losing the pub has taken a major toll on the team, with management particularly worried for staff members.
“It broke us, telling staff that the venue is going to be taken away from us and [they] might have to find new jobs,” he said.
While they have already received support from the community, Mr Matinahmadi said a “David and Goliath battle” to stay in the pub lay ahead. MFM is planning to refer the dispute to the Pubs Code Adjudicator, while Putney MP Fleur Anderson has also written to the adjudicator calling for an investigation.
“Everybody has been in uproar,” Mr Matinahmadi said, “We’ve received so many emails and messages begging for us to stick with it and not give the pub up and fight.”
He added: “You’re fighting against the company that for them it’s nothing to fight you, and for you it’s everything to fight them.”
Putney councillor Jasmin Glynne set up a Change.org petition calling for MFM to be allowed to remain in the pub, which has gained more than 1,000 signatures in just two weeks. She has been raising concerns about Star Pub’s treatment of MFM alongside Ms Anderson.
Councillor Glynne said: “The Park Tavern is one of the most beloved spots in this part of Putney. Residents have watched the current management transform it into a thriving, welcoming local. After investing so much into restoring the building, they deserve to be treated fairly. I urge Star Pubs to listen to the community and keep the current management in place.”
Ms Anderson added: “The Park Tavern is an important part of our community and I have serious concerns about the way the current management has been treated. I’ve asked the Pub Code Adjudicator to investigate, and I stand with local residents who want to see this much-loved pub remain under its current management.”
The pub was built in 1902 and extended in 1926. It is rated two stars on the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) inventory with an interior of “very special national historic interest”.
A Star Pubs spokesperson told the LDRS: “Whilst we will not discuss the specific details of the operator’s business arrangements in public, we can confirm that it is not possible for them to remain at the pub due to serious issues that cannot be ignored during their tenure.
“We are committed to keeping pubs open and thriving. To that end, we have invested £328 million into our pubs since 2018 and are spending a further £44.5 million this year, safeguarding them for the future.
“The Park Tavern is a lovely pub in a great location, and we already have interest from operators keen to take it on once it is vacated.
“Our plan would be to reopen The Park Tavern as soon as possible after having undertaken some essential repairs. Longer term, we hope to carry out a refurbishment of the pub’s ground floor trading area and the outside of the building, which are in need of investment.”
