Robin Birley (businessman)

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Robin Birley
Born
Robin Marcus Birley

(1958-02-19) 19 February 1958 (age 65)
Westminster, London, England
Education Eton College
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2006;died 2018)​
Children1
Parents
Relatives India Jane Birley (sister)
Loulou de la Falaise (cousin)

Robin Marcus Birley (born 19 February 1958) is an English businessman, entrepreneur and political donor. He is the son of Lady Annabel Goldsmith and the nightclub owner Mark Birley. He had a brother, Rupert, who disappeared and is presumed deceased, and a sister, India Jane Birley. His half-brother is the former MP, now peer, Zac Goldsmith.

Contents

Career

Private members' clubs

Birley owns and runs 5 Hertford Street (5HS), a private members' club in Mayfair and Oswald's at 25 Albemarle Street. [1] [2] [3] Having found a dilapidated block of buildings in Shepherd Market, Mayfair, he raised £30 million to refurbish them; fashion designer Rifat Özbek was commissioned to design the interiors. 5 Hertford Street opened in June 2012 with a launch party attended by Mick Jagger, Kate Moss, and Daphne Guinness. [4] [1] [5] [6] The basement nightclub was named Loulou's after Birley’s late cousin, Loulou de la Falaise. Over the following five years, 5HS became a staple of London’s social scene [7] . The success of 5HS emboldened Birley to launch new membership-based venues. [8] In November 2017, Avenue reported that Birley was close to finalising a deal to start work on a new club, akin to 5HS but with bedrooms for members, near Union Square, Manhattan. [9]

In May 2019 the club faced claims from backroom staff who had protested against “poverty pay" demanding the real living wage pay rate and an occupational sick pay. [10] [11]

Birley Sandwiches

Birley’s first entrepreneurial success came with the foundation of Birley Sandwiches in the early 1980s. Over the following 30 years, he has gradually expanded the concept – sandwiches made in front of the customer from fresh ingredients – into a successful chain which now comprises 15 outlets in the City of London and Canary Wharf. [12] [13] In December 2022, Birley opened the French Boulangerie "Birley Bakery" at 28 Cale St in Chelsea.

Environmentalism

Heavily influenced by Edward Goldsmith, his step-father’s brother and the founder of The Ecologist , Birley has always maintained a keen interest in environmental matters. In 2002, he set up Envirotrade, [14] a project assisting small farmers in Mozambique through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and agroforestry by generating carbon credits through which they could earn a better living wage. [15] The Sofala Project, in Mozambique, remains the only carbon project to have been awarded gold in all three categories of the Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard. [16] The Sofala Community Carbon Project earned $3,453,228 from carbon offset sales between 2004 and 2013, and the participating communities earned $2,136,744 from agroforestry and avoided deforestation activities directly from the project. [17]

However, the crash in the international carbon trading market meant that Birley increasingly had to fund the projects out of his own pocket. Having spent several million, he handed the projects back to the community in 2012, but continued making donations until 2015.

In April 2010, the BBC admitted that a documentary about Birley titled Taking The Credit, should not have been shown because of conflicts of interest. [18] The BBC trust stated in its final report in 2011 that "there was no suggestion that the ACLT, Envirotrade or any personnel connected to the organisations had acted improperly". [19]

Birley is a trustee of the Howletts and Port Lympne Animal Park which is committed to returning rare and endangered animals back to their natural habitats. Working with the two Parks, Howletts Wild Animal Park opened in 1975 and the Port Lympne Reserve opened in 1976, the Foundation runs its own projects overseas and support other reintroduction programmes across Asia and Africa. [20]

Personal life

Birley grew up in London with his siblings, Rupert and India Jane. He was educated at St Aubyn's School in Rottingdean, East Sussex and Eton College. His parents were divorced after his mother had two children with his father's friend Sir James Goldsmith, whom she later married. [21] Birley has three half-siblings through his mother's second marriage, Zac Goldsmith, Jemima Goldsmith and Ben Goldsmith. [22]

During his adolescence Birley was mauled by a tiger at Howletts Zoo, the private zoo of family friend John Aspinall. The bones on one side of his face were crushed. He has endured years of cosmetic surgery but the accident left him with permanent scarring. [22]

In the late 1990s, with his father Mark unable to direct his Mayfair private members' clubs on a day-to-day basis, Robin and his sister India Jane took on an increasing role in the management of the clubs, [23] which comprised Annabel's (named after his mother), Harry’s Bar, Mark's Club, George, and the Bath & Racquets Club.

In 2006 Birley was dismissed from his position by his father, after a family row following his hiring of a private investigator to do a background check on his sister’s new boyfriend. Birley and India Jane were later reconciled at her wedding to Sebastian Whitestone. [24] Mark Birley, by now unwell (he died in August 2007) and without his son to run the group of clubs, sold them to the clothing tycoon Richard Caring, who continues to operate them under the ‘Birley Clubs’ brand (with the exception of Mark’s Club, which was sold on).[ citation needed ]

In 1986 his brother Rupert was presumed drowned in mysterious circumstances whilst working in Togo, but his body was never recovered. [25]

Birley has a daughter, Maud, by a former girlfriend. He married Lucy Ferry, the ex-wife of Bryan Ferry, in October 2006. She died by suicide on 23 July 2018 at the age of 58.[ citation needed ]

In December 2018, Birley joined residents' protest against plans for a new 24-hour casino in Mayfair. [26]

Related Research Articles

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Lady Annabel Goldsmith is an English socialite and the eponym for a London nightclub of the late 20th century, Annabel's. She was first married for two decades to entrepreneur Mark Birley, the creator of Annabel's. Annabel's was her husband's inaugural members-only Mayfair club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oswald Birley</span> English portrait painter and royal portraitist (1880-1952)

Sir Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley was an English portrait painter and royal portraitist in the early part of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabel's</span> Private members club in Mayfair, London

Annabel's is a private members club at 46 Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London.

Marcus Oswald Hornby Lecky Birley, known as Mark Birley, was a British entrepreneur known for his investments in the hospitality industry.

India Jane Birley is a British artist and businesswoman. Her father, Mark Birley, opened the private member's club Annabel's, named for her mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, in the early 1960s and Birley ran the club with her brother, Robin Birley, during her father's ill health in the 2000s. She later became estranged from her brother, and her father's estate was left to her to be placed in trust for her son.

Louise Vava Lucia Henriette Le Bailly de La Falaise, known as Loulou de la Falaise, was an English fashion muse and accessory and jewellery designer associated with Yves Saint Laurent. Author Judith Thurman, writing in The New Yorker magazine, called La Falaise "the quintessential Rive Gauche haute bohémienne".

Siegi Sessler was a prominent London restaurateur and club owner in the mid-20th century. He started club life after the Second World War, and opened Siegi's Club in 1950 at 46 Charles Street in London's Mayfair area. Siegi's became the first of the Mayfair establishments, later among Claremont Club, Annabel's, Tramp, Harry's Bar and The Colony Club. It was well known to be the 'home away from home' for Hollywood stars, such as Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope, Crosby, Niven, Brando, Monroe, John Wayne, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Doris Day, Joan Crawford, Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor. It was described as "a sort of Madame Tussauds for live people... a safe haven for the friendless and a place impossible to leave, without a pocketful of introductions, for all four corners of the globe. You may not have wanted to lunch with Brando in LA, or safari with William Holden, at his Mt. Kenya Safari Club, however once out of the door, you were committed and often compelled to be their house guests, although a stranger...and you may have only popped in for a night cap before bed!" by columnist Marjorie Proops.

Richard Allan Caring is a British businessman. He initially built a business, International Clothing Designs, supplying Hong Kong-manufactured fashion to UK retailers. After surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, he diversified his business interest into restaurants and nightclubs and is the chairman of Caprice Holdings, which owns and operates The Ivy chain of restaurants.

Mark's Club is a private members' club and restaurant in Mayfair, London, UK. Established in 1972, it has hosted many fashion events and been patronised by members of the British establishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5 Hertford Street</span> Private members club in Mayfair, London

5 Hertford Street (5HS) is a private members' club in Mayfair, London, which was described in 2017 as London's most secretive club. It has annual membership costs of £1,800 and is owned by the English businessman Robin Birley. Its interior design is by the Turkish-born fashion designer Rifat Ozbek.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath & Racquets Club</span> Private members gym and squash club in Mayfair, London

The Bath & Racquets Club is a private members gym and squash club at 49 Brook's Mews in London's Mayfair district. The club has 300 members and is the most expensive private gym club in London. It was established by Mark Birley in 1989. Birley sold the club with his four other Mayfair clubs, Annabel's, Harry's Bar, Mark's Club, and George, to Richard Caring in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George (club)</span> Club in London

George is a private members club at 87-88 Mount Street in London's Mayfair district. It was established by Mark Birley in 2001. Birley sold the club with his four other Mayfair clubs, Annabel's, Mark's Club, Harry's Bar, and the Bath & Racquets Club, to Richard Caring in 2007. The club is dog friendly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thurloe Lodge</span> Building in London, England

Thurloe Lodge is a house at 17 Thurloe Place in the South Kensington district of London. It was the home of the actor manager Nigel Playfair and was subsequently the home of Mark Birley who founded Annabel's nightclub in Berkeley Square. Birley's daughter, India Jane Birley, sold Thurloe Lodge in 2011 for £17 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry's Bar (London)</span> Restaurant in London, England

Harry's Bar is a private members dining club at 26 South Audley Street in London's Mayfair district. It was established by Mark Birley in 1979. Birley sold the club with his four other Mayfair clubs, Annabel's, Mark's Club, George, and the Bath & Racquets Club, to Richard Caring in 2007. Harry's Bar is renowned for its Italian cuisine.

<i>Girl with a Red Beret and Pompom</i> Painting by Pablo Picasso

Girl with a Red Beret and Pompom is a 1937 painting by Pablo Picasso. It hangs in the main reception area of the private member's club Annabel's in Berkeley Square in London's Mayfair district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oswald's</span> Private members club in Mayfair, London

Oswald's is a private members club located at 25 Albemarle Street in London's Mayfair district. It was established by Robin Birley in May 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hertford Street</span>

Hertford Street is a street in central London's Mayfair district. It runs between a junction with Park Lane and Old Park Lane at its western end, to Curzon Street at its north-east end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">46 Berkeley Square</span>

46 Berkeley Square is a house on Berkeley Square in the Mayfair district of London, England. The house was used as offices, including the London headquarters of the Chase Manhattan Bank, for several decades. It has been the site of the private member's club Annabel's since 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 Gill, A.A. (August 2012). "Life Begins at 8:30". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Robin Birley proves he's the king of clubs". London Evening Standard . 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Members only: the rise of Mayfair's private clubs". The Times . 12 January 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Mingle With Celebs at These Hot London Clubs—If You Can Get In". Yahoo! News. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "London's Top Private Members Clubs – Quintessentially". www.quintessentially.com.
  6. ↑ "London's gone doo-Loulou's: why Hollywood A-listers, models and royals can't get enough of the exclusive Mayfair club". London Evening Standard. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  7. ↑ James, Khila (27 November 2017). "5 Hertford Street Is Still London's Most Secretive Club". New York Observer . Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Bruce (12 August 2017). "The king of clubs is a romantic at heart". The Spectator . Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  9. ↑ Gross, Michael (20 November 2017). "Hurly Birley: King of Posh UK Clubs to Reign in Union Square". Avenue. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. ↑ Alice Hutton, Jonathan Paige (6 June 2019). "Pay protesters at 5 Hertford Street are offered 35p an hour more". The Times. ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Hutton, Alice (30 May 2019). "Workers at exclusive Mayfair club 5 Hertford Street protest against "poverty pay"". The Times. ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "The best sandwiches made from the best ingredients – Birley Sandwiches". www.birleysandwiches.co.uk.
  13. ↑ Wilson, Bee (6 January 2011), "Where to find the best sandwiches in London", London Evening Standard, retrieved 2 May 2018
  14. ↑ "Envirotrade's carbon trading project in Mozambique: "The N'hambita experiment has failed" | REDD-Monitor". redd-monitor.org. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "How Africa can earn billions from carbon trading" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "Projects |CCBA" . Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "Sofala 2013 Annual Report" (PDF).
  18. ↑ Olden, Mark; Gillard, Michael (11 April 2010). "Carbon credit documentary should not have been shown, BBC admits". The Observer . Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ "The Aspinall Foundation – How We Are Run".
  21. ↑ "Lady Annabel, the ghost of Jimmy Goldsmith and two society clans". www.tmcnet.com. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  22. 1 2 Osley, Richard (25 August 2007). "Mark Birley dies, but the feud lives on". The Independent . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  23. ↑ "Three affairs, one wedding and the two society clans tearing" . Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  24. ↑ Walker, Tim (24 July 2008). "Birleys reconciled at India Jane's wedding". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  25. ↑ "Mark Birley". The Independent. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  26. ↑ "Club king Birley joins residents in fight against 24-hour Mayfair casino". Evening Standard. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
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