Soho House eyes up Stoke Newington’s Wilmer Place

Protesters from group Stokey Local declared their opposition to plans for a Sainsbury’s on the site in 2013

Soho House is considering opening a branch of its upmarket fast food restaurants Dirty Burger, Chicken Shop and Pizza East on the Wilmer Place site in Stoke Newington.

The site was at the heart of a lengthy battle between locals and the council three years ago that entailed colourful “bug parades” in protest at feared loss of biodiversity in adjacent Abney Park Cemetery.

Plans for a Sainsbury’s at Wilmer Place were approved by the Hackney Council’s planning committee in 2013 – much to the fury of residents who had mounted high profile campaigns against this.

The supermarket giant later unexpectedly backed out of the deal, however.

Since then there have been rumblings that Marks and Spencer might open there, but now the latest plans, put forward by agents Dalton Warner Davis, refer to “a restaurant to be potentially occupied by Dirty Burger, Chicken Shop and Pizza East.” (The Hackney Citizen understands it would be a complex containing three restaurants.)

The eatery would provide 80 jobs and would “assimilate with the dynamic and vibrant character of this part of Stoke Newington”, the plans state.

A change of use application also declares: “Dirty Burger, Chicken Shop and Pizza East restaurants would be commensurate with the character of Stoke Newington District Centre and would reflect the ‘individuality’ of the High Street.”

The Wilmer Place site was previously owned by Newmark Properties, which sold it to Reichmann Properties, reportedly for a hefty profit.

Founded in London in 1995, Soho House now owns private members clubs around the world as well as cinemas and a growing empire of cafés, restaurants and bars.

Neither Dalton Warner Davis nor Reichmann Properties replied to requests for further comment. Soho House also did not reply to a request for comment.