Cafe named after Princess Diana ‘employing illegal migrants'
A café named after Diana, Princess of Wales, could lose its licence for employing migrants illegally.
The royal was a regular guest at Café Diana in Notting Hill Gate after it opened in 1989 close to Kensington Palace. She reportedly took Prince William and Prince Harry for breakfast.
The Home Office has applied for the café's licence to be revoked after discovering seven staff members without the correct documentation from Egypt, Iran and Albania during four inspections between September 2019 and May 2025.
Abdul-Basit Daoud, the venue's designated premises superviser, recalled that Diana first visited the café days after it opened.
He said: 'She started coming more often, bringing the kids here sometimes for breakfast. The kids used to take breakfast, like English breakfast.
'Herself, she used to have cappuccino, cake, some croissants, something like this. But she sometimes had English breakfast too.'
The café is now a popular tourist destination with photographs of the princess on the walls, including one that Diana gave as a gift.
Documents submitted to the council by the Home Office and seen by The Telegraph showed that one employee was paid £40 for an eight-hour shift, equivalent to £5 an hour, while one chef who arrived in the UK on a business visa that ran out in 2015 said he was 'paid in food'.
The report also revealed that one illegal worker had been employed at the premises for more than two years.
The Home Office report said: 'This prolonged period of illegal employment is significant as it indicates a persistent undermining of the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective.'
The cafe was fined £10,500 in February 2020 for hiring illegal workers and another £135,000 in December 2024 for the same offence.
On May 9, 45 tubs of illegal shisha tobacco were seized, and council Trading Standards Officials found smoking had taken place in smoke-free areas.
The Home Office report added: 'It is clear to see that the premises licence holder/DPS, along with management, has failed to conduct mandatory employment checks in line with legal obligations to prevent illegal working.
'It is an offence to work when a person is disqualified to do so, and such an offence can only be committed with the co-operation of a premises licence holder or its agents. The management could have eradicated any doubt concerning right-to-work by the simple task of acquiring a share code from potential employees.'
The Metropolitan Police asked the council 'to be mindful' in their decision, adding: 'To allow them the benefit of a premises licence would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective.'
Mr Daoud's company, Corporate Meeting and Event Services Ltd, ran the café but were evicted by SSW6 Holding Ltd which holds the licence. Mr Daoud's company was liquidated in June.
Mr Daoud admitted recruiting staff from overseas but said all new hires were required to fill out a starter checklist and all underwent right-to-work checks.
Paid with food
He also said staff were verbally told which days to work and are paid in cash 'with some receiving free food in return for working at the premises'.
Lawyers for SSW6 Holding Ltd said his client undertook 'swift and decisive action' by evicting the current tenants after becoming aware of the issues and suggested suspending the licence for three months.
The company proposed hiring door security, carrying out regular immigration checks, and improving CCTV and training for staff.
A legal letter read: 'We respectfully suggest that a suspension of the premises licence for a period of three months would represent an appropriate and proportionate response.'
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