Café Britaly opened in May 2024 and was billed as an ‘authentically Britalian’ cafe serving nostalgic renditions of Italian dishes ‘viewed from the perspective of the British isles’.
It hit the headlines by risking the ire of Italians by serving a spaghetti Carbonara made with cream and topped with a fried egg (see below).
The duo say they have taken the decision to close the restaurant “due to challenging trading conditions, which were compounded by the autumn budget, and before Café Britaly had time to build up enough momentum to generate sustainable revenue”.
In a joint statement regarding the closure, they say: “We’re sad to say arrivederci but we have loved our eight months in Peckham.
“Café Britaly drew a wonderful crowd, eager to try - and in some cases, determined, but failing, to hate - our Britalian food.
“We’ve made some great friends, both regular customers and in the local business community, and we’d like to thank everyone who’s been part of the Café Britaly story.
“Our passion for hospitality remains undimmed.”
While the pair hope that the Café Britaly brand may return, there are no immediate plans for in place.
“We’re not going to pretend that this is a ‘relocation’ or a ‘pause’; we have very sadly but pragmatically decided to close Café Britaly,” adds Crampton-Platt.
“We knew that trading conditions for hospitality were tough, and went into business with our eyes open to the risk of trying to create our own ‘Britalian’ niche, but the unforeseen additional cost pressures created by the autumn budget came at the wrong stage of our business cycle.
“We just couldn’t make the numbers add up to continue trading into 2025.”
