The Greedy Cow to shut its restaurant after 14 years of service
Local residents mourn the loss of the much-loved Mile End burger restaurant Greedy Cow as its sit-in restaurant is closed to make way for flats.
The burger restaurant, The Greedy Cow, shut its doors to its much-loved restaurant seating area on the 31st of December to and will now operate solely as a takeaway from a basement ‘dark kitchen’.
The restaurant is making way for a proposed building application for two residential units. The development, estimated at £2 million, will involve creating an additional two storeys. Greedy Cow’s kitchen will be moved into the basement making way for bike and waste storage area on the ground floor.
Approval of the plans was granted in March 2022 following initial refusal from the Council and months of objections from local residents on MEOTRA, forcing the plans to be changed and appealed.
John White commented on MEOTRA’s website: ‘Before this restaurant, the building was unoccupied for several years and was an eyesore. If this business were to close… the area would deteriorate.’
The owner of Greedy Cow, Reg Kudhail, said that for the last month of restaurant service people traveled from as far as Manchester to pay their respects, giving the restaurant a deserved farewell. According to Kudhail, that last emotional Saturday of December when the restaurant closed after 14 years was packed full of people who had supported the business for years.
Reg reflected on some of his fondest memories whilst running the Greedy Cow saying how much of an honour it was to have sponsored the local boys football team and how proud he was when supporting local schools such as Victoria Park Academy in raffles at charity events.
His favourite memory of all was delivering his food to homeless people over lockdown in a food van, a project he undertook with the company Together 19, a program that supports community street food projects in London.
Since hearing news of its closure many have commented on their Facebook post about the fond memories of visiting their children at Queen Mary’s University and treating them to a nice lunch or dinner at the restaurant.
Others have reflected on Greedy Cow ability to be a ‘go-to’ for any occasion. ‘We loved this place when we lived in Mile End. Rough day? Greedy Cow. Celebration? Greedy Cow. People visiting us? Greedy Cow. Thanks for the memories!’ commented Jack Surfleet, a local fan of the chain, on Instagram.
Once described as one of London’s best kept secrets by Time Magazine and reviewed as the unlikely uniter of vegans and carnivores by us, the restaurant was something of a treasure in Mile End, combining flavours from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean to reflect the owners travels prior to founding the restaurant.
But not to worry too much, the Greedy Cow will remain open as a takeaway and still cook it’s delicious steaks and burgers.
If you enjoyed this article, read our review of Lanterna, Fish Island’s newest pizzeria and bar.
