The Vector

Rules restaurant building donated to National Trust

The owner has given the Covent Garden building and its historic contents to the charity while the restaurant continues trading.

The building that houses Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust in an £11m gift. The restaurant will remain open under its existing management, with the charity becoming the landlord and custodian of the historic building and collection.

The donation covers 34-35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, central London, where Rules has operated since 1798. The National Trust said the gift included historic material such as menus, visitor books, caricatures, photographs, stained glass and signs.

Rules began as an oyster house and has remained in continuous restaurant use for more than two centuries. Its interior is substantially preserved, with historic playbills, portraits, furnishings and other decorative features associated with the restaurant’s long history.

The property was donated by J-P Mayhew, who had owned the building for about 40 years. ITV reported that the freehold gift was valued at £11m. Mayhew previously sold the restaurant business to its longstanding general manager, Ricky McMenemy, who will continue operating it as a commercial tenant.

The National Trust said the arrangement was an example of living heritage because the historic structure and its original use would remain together. The building will be the first in the charity’s care to house a historic restaurant that is still operating, although the Trust already looks after 39 historic pubs.

The charity’s role is expected to be light-touch. The Guardian reported that the Trust plans to conserve the building and its contents while allowing the business to adapt to diners’ needs. National Trust members will not receive preferential access or prices, because Rules will continue to operate as a commercial business.

The annual rent from the restaurant is intended to support conservation work. The Trust is also exploring virtual visits and other ways for people to experience the building without dining there, widening access while keeping the restaurant’s day-to-day operation separate from the charity’s heritage duties.

The gift follows earlier threats to the building, including redevelopment plans in the 1970s that prompted a campaign involving the poet John Betjeman. The National Trust now holds the property for future conservation, while the restaurant’s continued success remains dependent on its independent management and paying customers.

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