The premises licence for Food Works, located at 51 Strutton Ground, London, SW1P 2HY, has been suspended following an expedited review by Westminster City Council's Licensing Sub-Committee. The decision, made on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, was due to serious crime concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police Service.
The police applied for the review under Section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003, citing evidence of serious crime associated with the premises. Specifically, the investigation centres on an incident on February 17, 2026, where a male was attacked and sustained grievous bodily harm (GBH) level injuries requiring hospital treatment. The investigation into this assault is ongoing.
The committee, chaired by Councillor Angela Piddock, agreed to hold the hearing in private at the request of the police. This was to protect an ongoing criminal investigation into the serious assault, as a public hearing could prejudice its progress.
During the hearing, PC Steve Muldoon of the Metropolitan Police presented evidence detailing the assault. CCTV footage showed an unprovoked attack on the victim. Further concerns were raised regarding the premises' CCTV system, which appeared to have been tampered with. Footage reportedly only began from the day after the assault, and staff were unable to provide evidence of repair arrangements, nor could they offer any record of the system being faulty.
The police also noted breaches of licence conditions, specifically relating to the operability of the CCTV system and the maintenance of an incident log. Given the severity of the assault, the alleged deception regarding the CCTV, and the perceived inability of the premises to uphold licensing objectives, the Metropolitan Police requested the suspension of the licence pending a full review.
The subcommittee agreed, suspending the licence to promote the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of the public. Following this expedited review, Food Works is not currently operational under its licence.
The licence holder, Mr Yilmaz Akcadag, was represented at the hearing by Devon Raj. The subcommittee members included Councillor Judith Southern and Councillor Karen Scarborough. The full details of the review can be found in the Public reports pack 17th-Mar-2026 10.00 Licensing Sub-Committee 4, and the interim steps report is available here.
