Shock at 'awful' news of Jenner's Café closure as RBWM refuses lease renewal

A popular family-owned Maidenhead café that has been running for three generations is set to close down as RBWM makes other plans for the land.

Jenner’s Café – also known as Riverside Gardens café, in Ray Mead Road – was set up in 1959 and prides itself on ‘good food and service in a family-friendly environment'.

Riverside Gardens, based opposite Boulter’s Lock, includes a children’s play area, 18-hole crazy golf course and a large pay-and-display riverside car park which holds more than 200 cars.

Part of the site is leased to Jenner’s Café, which hosts car club meets, motorbike and cycling club meets and hires out the café and crazy golf course for events.

However, its lease for the site expires in August 2026, as RBWM, the landowner, has opted not to renew it.

The council is opposing the lease renewal of the café, mini golf and car park elements, including the log cabin building Jenner’s resides in.

Instead, RBWM is seeking to demolish/redevelop the leasehold site.

It plans to replace what is there with ‘a modern building’ providing ‘fully accessible public convenience facilities’.

RBWM also plans ‘a new commercial premises’ and council-run parking.

These will ‘deliver best value for residents,’ according to written answers to a public question on the subject at a full council meeting in January.

At the meeting, leader of the council Simon Werner stressed the importance of making the most of council assets.

He assured councillors that Riverside Gardens is a valued park for residents and that the administration is committed to securing its enjoyment for many years to come.

However, this is no comfort to the proprietors of Jenner’s, who have taken to social media in protest.

They have set up a written petition against RBWM’s decision, available inside the café, and will be launching an e-petition soon.

On Facebook, the café’s owner, Andrew Jenner, announced the ‘very sad news’ that August 29 will be Jenner’s Café’s last day – unless it can generate the funds to fight RBWM in court.

“We will try and fight this in court, but as you know this is expensive and has already cost us thousands of pounds so far,” he wrote.

“I was truly hoping it would not come to this, as I have tried to reason with the council, giving them many different options concerning a new lease but disappointingly it has fallen on deaf ears.”

Andrew says Jenner’s has been in discussions with the council since September or October last year, and just before Christmas, RBWM informed him that they were not going to renew the lease using the development clause.

This is a statutory ground for refusing renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 – in plain English, a landlord can refuse a new lease if they intend to reconstruct the premises.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Andrew said the community ‘stands to lose a family business that always put the community first'.

“The café is more than just a business. [It’s] almost a community centre,” he said.

Jenner’s Café has a rich history; the family have been running the café for about 65 years.

Andrew’s grandmother started it up ‘when it was just a little green wooden hut’ and it was then taken over in the early 70s by his father, Ken – a popular figure who ran it until 1991.

After that, Andrew took over. A British-Australian politician, he also served as a Conservative RBWM councillor and as the Borough’s Mayor in 2013-2014.

When Andrew posted a letter with the news of Jenner’s closure on its website, more than 700 people expressed their support within two hours, he said.

Andrew thanked all the café’s customers for their ‘amazing support’ over the years.

He wrote: “I have been so lucky to have had wonderful staff, plus hundreds of regular customers.

“We have had third and fourth generations of families work for us, and I thank you all for being part of Jenner’s history.”

More than 850 people so far have reacted to the post on Facebook, with scores of comments reminiscing over their happy memories at Jenner’s from their childhoods – and calling the closure ‘awful news’.

Andrew said: “I have also received over 100 private messages offering help with the petition – I believe that we will be able to get thousands of people [to sign it].”

The Royal Borough has been approached for comment.