Bewley's contents are to go under the hammer

The contents of the now-closed Bewley's Oriental Café on Dublin's Westmoreland Street are to be auctioned later this month.

Included in the auction to take place on Wednesday, 22nd June, will be the marble-top tables, the café chairs and the plush red velvet booths, as well as crockery and cutlery. The café closed controversially last November, along with the Grafton Street branch.

The Grafton Street branch re-opened in the past fortnight, under new management and as two restaurants.

According to a notice on the window of the Westmoreland Street premises yesterday, Bache-Treharne auctioneers will sell the contents on site, on Wednesday, June 22nd at 11am, with viewing, also on site, on June 21st, between 9am and 5pm. The sale will be of "catering and cooking equipment, refrigeration, stainless steel kitchenware, furniture and office equipment".

This will include, says the notice, "gas ranges, hotplates, dishwashers, upright and underbar fridges, mixers, convection ovens, salamanders, bread slicers, cake carousels, microwaves, toasters, ice machines, stainless steel sinks, benches and racks, large quantity of crockery, cutlery, glassware, marble and wooden-top café tables, café chairs, café booths, sharp cash registers, computers, printers, office furniture, lockers plus much more".

A spokesman for the Save Bewley's Campaign said yesterday he was "shocked and outraged" that the premises was "going to just be gutted like this".

"My reaction is that this is outrageous that they are going ahead with this before An Bord Pleanála has given its final decision on what should happen with the site."

Planning permission for a new café, restaurant and cocktail bar is being appealed to An Bord Pleanála by An Taisce and the Save Bewley's Campaign.

A spokesman for Bewley's said yesterday the auction was necessary to clear away equipment and would not in any way affect the architectural integrity of the building.