‘Shuttering the doors deprives Croydon… of a piece of its community’s heart’ says the businesswoman who runs Bishops, after being handed an ‘arbitrary and unjust’ notice to close by the Scrooges of Westfield
The management of the Whitgift Centre waited until Wednesday – New Year’s Eve – before issuing a notice to quit to another of the mall’s longest-lasting traders: Bishops Wine Bar.
Signs of the times: management of the Whitgift Centre has been blocking access to Bishops Wine Bar over the last two years. Now they want them out
Bishops, which has traded in central Croydon since 1982, has been told that they must close their business by the end of June this year, a decision the wine bar manager describes as “arbitrary and unjust”.
The quit notice came with no explanation.
Slotted in an out-of-the-way concrete alley off Wellesley Road, Bishops Wine Bar has been enduring an existential battle for a couple of years, especially so since the Whitgift Centre management closed the Allders multi-storey car park, cutting off Bishops from anyone in the shopping mall who might fancy a swift Malbec before lugging their shopping home.
Not that there are many people who bother shopping in the Whitgift Centre these days, as shop after shop has pulled down their shutters. For every single “kiosk” Westfield opened in the shell of the old Allders building, nearly five other stores had quit the Whitgift Centre in 2025.
The closure of the car park (and the walkways through it) came in 2024, soon after Westfield took over the management of the shopping centre. By then, it had already been 12 years since Westfield had promised to redevelop the mall as part of a £1billion town centre regeneration scheme.
Apparently not satisfied with inflicting more than a decade of development blight on residents and traders in central Croydon, Westfield – now part of the multi-billion Paris-based multinational URW – appear intent on driving out all remaining businesses from the increasingly desolate and deserted shopping centre.
And this week, we reported how a group of charity singers opted to raise money for good causes outside Croydon, after they were blocked from carol singing in the Whitgift Centre by the “Westfield Scrooges”. The Croydon Male Voice Choir had given carol concerts at the centre for more than 10 years, raising tens of thousands for good causes. But not in 2024 or 2025.
Hard to find: the Whitgift Centre management have made it difficult to get to Bishops Wine Bar
After receiving the notice to quit, Ferrara at Bishops has been unable to get any response to her many questions from the Whitgift Centre management. Despite finding time to issue the notice, their offices are closed until January 5: “So at least they’re having a nice time,” says Fererra.
She has started an online petition, which had already drawn 350 signatures in its first day.
Bishops, she says, is “not just a wine bar for the locals, it’s a sanctuary where friendships have been nurtured and unforgettable memories have been made”.
On her petition, aimed at the Whitgift management as well as one of Westfield’s biggest supporters, Mayor Jason Perry at Croydon Council, Ferrara explains: “On New Year’s Eve 2025… we received a stark letter from our landlord, the Whitgift Centre. They invoked a break clause which requires us to close in six months from January 1, 2026, without providing a reason.”
After overcoming the struggles of the covid lockdown and the economic pressures facing much of the hospitality industry, Bishops Wine Bar is, Ferrara says, “a beloved local haunt”.
“The thought of shuttering the doors deprives Croydon not just of a business, but of a piece of its community’s heart,” she says.
“The Whitgift Centre’s decision seems arbitrary and unjust, especially given that no explanation has been offered. The closure would impact not only the staff who rely on their jobs for their livelihoods but also the patrons who find solace and camaraderie within its walls. Bishops Wine Bar is a vital part of the community fabric, offering cultural events and supporting local artists.
“We believe that with enough support, we can persuade the Whitgift Centre to reconsider this decision. We propose collaborating with the centre to find a mutually beneficial arrangement, such as renegotiating lease terms or exploring partnership opportunities that would ensure Bishops continues to serve the community.
“We call upon the management of the Whitgift Centre to engage in a dialogue with us and the Croydon Council to explore these options. Preserving long-standing establishments like Bishops Wine Bar is crucial in maintaining the character and history of our town…
“Let us unite and convey to the Whitgift Centre how essential Bishops Wine Bar is to us all.”
Read more: The MP hidden away on third floor of a deserted shopping mall
Read more: Town centre traders struggle on to serve up the good times
Read more: Another Whitgift store to close – and manager blames Westfield
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