Nurseries' growing pains

With Mick Jagger and Madonna among its devotees, Petersham Nurseries Café has quickly built a reputation as one of London's best restaurants, despite its unlikely setting in a garden centre.

The venue, which uses ingredients grown in its own vegetable garden, was named Tatler's Most Original Restaurant 2006 and Time Out's Best Alfresco Restaurant 2005. Now its owners say that success is threatening its existence.

The Ham and Petersham Association is lobbying Richmond council to close the garden centre's car park, saying there has been an "exponential rise" in traffic entering a narrow entrance beside Petersham Church.

But owners Francesco and Gael Boglione claim that would put the viability of the business in doubt and could force the café to close. Diners are surrounded by tree ferns, jasmine and the earthy smell of greenhouses as they tuck into such delicacies as fried cod with chimmichurri and braised lentils.

The chef and café manager is Skye Gyngell, Vogue's food editor. She opened the café in 2004 as a tiny operation serving 15 people at a time, using a four-burner stove. Rave reviews followed - Tatler's Jeremy Wayne described it as "the River Café and an English garden rolled into one" - and now 20 staff serve 120 diners per sitting.

That is what sparked the interest of the Ham and Petersham Association and its president Stephen Jakobi.

The association's complaints led to an investigation into whether the site has been over-developed. The council has now asked the nursery to apply for planning permission for a restaurant - but Mr Boglione, who is a member of the residents' association, says he is already licensed.

"Most nurseries have ancillary restaurants or tea houses and we do not do any different from them. Are we to be vilified for doing something well?"

He has the support of neighbours including Ben Goldsmith, younger brother of Jemima and Zac, and actor RichardE Grant.

Trevor Pugh, Richmond council's director of environment, said: "A major restaurant has opened on the site, causing a significant impact on parking and traffic in the very small access lane. In the council's view, the restaurant is operating without the necessary planning consent.