Key facts
- Rules, London's oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust.
- The restaurant was established in 1798 and has had only three owners.
- JP Mayhew, the owner since 1984, made the donation of the building and its contents.
- The National Trust will protect the historic building and its 19th-century interior.
- The restaurant business was sold to general manager Ricky McMenemy in 2022.
- The National Trust's involvement will be light-touch, with the restaurant continuing to operate.
Rules, London's oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust by its owner, JP Mayhew, who has ensured the preservation of the historic building and its contents. Established in 1798 on Maiden Lane, the restaurant has a rich history, having been frequented by notable figures such as Charles Dickens, Laurence Olivier, and Charlie Chaplin.
Mayhew, who purchased Rules in 1984, described the donation as a "landmark" gift, valued at £11 million, and one of the most significant in the National Trust's recent history. He expressed confidence that the charity would "protect this place in a way that no one else could," safeguarding its bricks, mortar, famous interior, and unique atmosphere for future generations.
While the building and its contents are now under the stewardship of the National Trust, the restaurant business itself was sold to its longstanding general manager, Ricky McMenemy, in 2022. McMenemy will operate as a commercial tenant. Lucy Porten, a national curator for the National Trust, stated that the charity's involvement would be "very light touch" and that the restaurant would continue to be run as a business, with no expected changes to its distinctly meaty menu, assuring diners there would be "no scones."
The National Trust, which already manages historic pubs and country house hotels, sees this acquisition as an opportunity to "tell different histories" and showcase an "extraordinary slice of the social history of London."