PA Images via Getty Images
The Groucho Club, the iconic London members club that was bought by Artfarm in 2022, has closed temporarily as police investigate a “serious crime” on the premises.
Artfarm, a hospitality company set up by Hauser & Wirth dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth in 2014, has majority owned the club for the last two years. The firm reportedly bought its stake in the institution, which is frequented by A-list celebrities, for $50 million. The Groucho Club is run separately to the other operations owned by Artfarm, which is yet to comment on the closure.
In a statement on Tuesday, Westminster City Council said the club’s license has been revoked for 28 days following a request from the Metropolitan Police.
“This decision follows reports that a serious crime may have taken place at the premises in circumstances linked to a breach in the premise’s licensing conditions,” a council spokesperson said. “The allegations are subject to an ongoing police investigation and we cannot comment further at this stage.”
The nature of the crime is not yet publicly known.
According to the council, the Groucho Club has “cooperated with the committee, acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and accepted the decision to suspend their licence.”
The council’s licensing sub-committee will hold a full hearing looking into the crime by December 24.
