The Aussie-inspired casual dining brand has faced controversy after it was selected by the City of London Corporation to run three cafes operated by Hoxton Beach in December last year.
Speaking to The Standard, Freeman said the tendering process held by the City of London Corporation was ‘not just about money’ and was ‘transparent’.
“We were on a level playing field. We put forward our tender based on the criteria we were given. It’s very difficult to see how there wasn’t transparency in that,” she said.
“Investment was needed, but from our perspective if we put in a tender which just had a number, I can’t see how we would have won.
“Our tender was really about things we do in the community. We have a huge focus on community projects.”
As part of its bid for the tender, Daisy Green pledged to pay the London Living Wage, maintain affordable pricing, and invest significantly into the cafe buildings at Queens Park, Parliament Hill Lido, and Highgate Woods.
‘David vs Goliath’
Freeman’s comments come as Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, who have run the cafes at Parliament Hill Lido, Queen’s Park and Highgate Wood as part of Hoxton Beach, plan to file a judicial review against the tender process, calling it ‘opaque’ and ‘not consultative’.
Fernandez told The Standard: “There was no warning, no real engagement from the landlord to tell us what they expected, and no guidance. “This is our livelihood that is at stake.”
The couple have operated the three cafes for almost a decade, but have only had a tenancy at will – a short-term tenancy which can be terminated at any time and is usually only used for temporary arrangements. They say the tenancy at will has prevented them from being able to take bank loans that could have improved their proposal and are now refusing to vacate the premises.
There has also been a backlash again the City of London Corporation, with more than 22,000 people signing a petition - including actors Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy - calling for the corporation to retain the current cafe operators.
A piece in The Londoner also said that Daisy Green, which operates 20 locations across the capital, was listed as a client on the website of venture capital firm Volpini Ventures, a reference that it reports was later removed from the site.
Freeman told The Standard that the company is still a family-run business at its core. “There’s a lot of talk about a David and Goliath situation, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“We definitely don’t think of ourselves as a chain. My husband and I control everything that happens within the business. No one else has any voting rights. We definitely don’t have venture capital control over Daisy Green.”
Last month, the City of London Corporation was forced to issue an open letter asking cafe users to refrain from directing ‘hostility, intimidation and harassment’ towards Daisy Green.
Freeman said she ‘sympathises’ with Hoxton Beach. “We are sensitive to the situation and the passion that [Hoxton Beach] has put into the cafes and we’d like the opportunity to speak with them.”