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Camden New Journal - By CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 10 May 2007

Chef fights neighbours over door

A CELEBRITY chef has accused Belsize Village of conducting a crusade against him after he removed a set of period doors from his restaurant.
Millionaire Australian chef Will Ricker incurred the wrath of his neighbours after he replaced original double doors on his XO restaurant in Belsize Lane with a single glass door.
But after defying a warning not to scrap the original doors, Mr Rikker was told by planning chiefs last week they must be reinstated.
Mr Ricker is said to be a draw for a host of Hollywood stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Nicole Kidman.
In an outburst sure to anger conservationists, he said: “There’s a crusade against me up there and I just don’t get it. It was a run-down pub and I’ve made it look good.
“It’s the most shining light in that street. It’s such a good looking building – what is everyone’s problem?”
And criticising the authenticity of the features, he added: “They probably aren’t even original – the pub burnt down 20 years ago, it’s all new, it’s just made to look old.” He says he changed the doors to fall into line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Gene Adams of the Belsize Conservation Area Advisory Committee said: “It’s deplorable. If they are asked to preserve period features and they don’t, then they have to face the consequences.”

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