The Groucho Club, a Soho institution beloved by the media and arts elite, has temporarily closed its doors as the Metropolitan Police investigate allegations of a serious criminal offence.
Westminster City Council announced Tuesday that the club’s licence will be suspended immediately for 28 days pending a full hearing later this month following an application from police. It comes after claims that the celebrity haunt, one of the best-known private member’s clubs in the world, had been breaking its licensing conditions and was involved with an undisclosed criminal offence.
Groucho’s chief executive, Elli Jafari, apologised to members and said closure was necessary while the situation was being addressed. “The club’s licence has been suspended by agreement with Westminster City Council,” Jafari said, “and we have decided to close the club pending a full hearing before Christmas.”
A spokesman for Westminster Council explained: “Following a request from the Metropolitan Police and with the agreement of the operator, the council’s licensing subcommittee has decided to suspend the private member’s Club’s licence with immediate effect on the basis that the premises are associated with a serious crime. This decision follows reports that a crime may have occurred at the premises in circumstances linked to a breach in the premises’ licensing conditions.” The spokesperson declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing police investigation.
Just as the lucrative festive season gets underway, this is a devastating time for a club to close. Founded in 1985, the Groucho Club is in the storied fabric of Soho’s cultural and social history, where artistic expression found a haven for artists, musicians, and writers and the glitterati of successive generations. So-named after Groucho Marx- who once famously quipped that he wouldn’t join a club that would have him as a member, Groucho is a byword for exclusive, bohemian glamour.
Membership is said to be from £950 a year with a £250 annual joining fee and grants access to the club’s iconic Dean Street premises. On Tuesday, club employees declined to comment but verified that their licence had been suspended.
The developments also bring into sharp focus Artfarm, the hospitality business behind the purchase of Groucho in 2022 for £40m. Its formula blends an eclectic mix of venues that feature art, culture, and high-end hospitality. They are owned by Artfarm, a separate company belonging to the Hauser & Wirth Gallery brand. H&W was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, who were joined in 2000 by Partner and President Marc Payot. The company has seen explosive growth recently, including the celebrated Fife Arms Hotel in Scotland and Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair.
Ewan Venters will step down as CEO of Artfarmat at the end of this year, while Bee Emmott, Artfarm’s current creative director, will take over the club’s management. With the new appointment and an ongoing probe into its flagship London club, Artfarm struggles to balance its cultural aspirations with operational challenges.