TOP celebrity chefs have been shutting down a swathe of their Michelin-hailed restaurants this year.
Even BBC MasterChef judges haven’t been saved amid a spate of shocking closures as the hospitality industry feels extra pressure this year.
Marco Pierre White, Simon Rimmer and Tony Rodd, to name a few, won over viewers’ hearts on screen – but when it comes to running their own restaurant chains, things haven’t always been as smooth.
In fact, a huge number of celebrity chefs have closed down branches restaurants this year, leaving fans gutted.
Marco Pierre White’s restaurant Mr White’s Steak, Pizza and Gin House, located in London’s iconic West End, abruptly closed in January 2024 leaving customers baffled.
The 14,500sq ft restaurant first opened in 2021 at a former Chiqito site and marked the star’s first return to the West End’s food scene in over a decade.
But after initially saying it would be closed for maintenance over the New Year, the restaurant mysteriously never reopened, before confirming weeks later it had permanently shut.
A second Marco Pierre White location in Cardiff also permanently shut in the same month.
But, if you are still keen to try out the Michlien’s star chef’s cooking he has 30 other restaurant ventures, including a fish and chip shop, across the UK.
The New Zeland born judge from the smash hit cooking show devasted fans when she announced the closure of Mere this April.
Monica and her husband David ran the restaurant, which had £159 bottles of wine on the menu, for over seven years.
In a post on social media, the couple said: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Mere restaurant- but we feel this is the right time after 7yrs!
“We want to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank Alastair Storey and everyone who has supported us and our loyal patrons and dedicated staff throughout this journey.”
Michel Roux Jr closed the doors on his iconic restaurant Gavroche in January after 56 years in business.
Roux, said he was shutting up shop on the iconic haunt which launched the careers of Gorden Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Marcus Warening to “make time for a better work-life balance”.
The Mayfair resultant was the first UK restaurant to win a Michelin star in 1974, and later went on to win a second.
By Paul Lochhead - managing director of Drinkstuff
THE recent wave of celebrity chef restaurant closures can indeed be attributed to several factors, with the pandemic being a significant one.
The hospitality industry, particularly high-end restaurants, faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. Restrictions on dining, a shift to takeaways, and the need for social distancing significantly reduced footfall and revenue for these establishments.
However, the impact goes beyond the pandemic. High-end restaurants operate on a model that requires substantial overheads—premium locations, top-quality ingredients, and skilled staff.
With the economic uncertainty and a change in consumer behaviour post-pandemic, there’s been a shift in dining preferences. Many diners are now seeking more casual, value-driven experiences, which puts pressure on the viability of luxury dining.
Moreover, for celebrity chefs, these ventures are often passion projects rather than primary revenue sources.
If a restaurant isn’t performing well, it may not be worth the continued investment, especially when compared to the other income streams they have, such as media appearances, books, and endorsements.
One Show Star Simon Rimmer announced in September that his last remaining Greens restaurant would close.
Greens was one of the first vegetarian restaurants in Manchester and the first fully vegetarian one to be featured in the Good Food Guide.
It had its original branch in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, which closed in January this year after being open for 33 years.
Simon blamed Covid for pushing up costs and the landlord increasing the rent by 35%.
And now the second restaurant branch in Sale, Greater Manchester, has also closed after being open for two years.
This Morning chef Tom Brown closed his diner in Hackney, London this June citing high costs and changing customer habits.
The 36-cover spot opened in 2018 and later went on to win a Michelin star in 2021.
Tom also owns the Pearly Queen, a seafood restaurant which is still up and running in Shoreditch, London.
Great British Menu star Mark Hix closed the doors at his restaurant for the last time after 17 years in business.
The chef and food critic, who opened the eatery after his BBC show victory, said the decision was made with a “heavy heart”.
Mark Hix’s Oyster & Fish House opened in Lyme Regis in 2008 and delighted locals with offerings of Dorset oysters and whole fish caught by local fishermen.
The restaurateur said he decided to shut up shop after realising that “times have changed” for the hospitality industry.
Mark spoke about the difficulties the restaurant faced over recent years – including Covid pandemic and a high-profile planning dispute with the local council.
Bradley Monk has been the owner and head chef at One Fish Street in St. Ives, Cornwall for the last five years.
But the team took to Instagram to announced it was shutting its door for good on January 2.
Bosses at the family business are keen to go out with a bang, encouraging customers from the local area to join them for one last meal – or at the restaurant’s one-night-only leaving party.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson also hinted at a new culinary venture.
The message read: “We are sad to announce that we are closing. Our last service will be on the 2nd of January.”
Moving on to happier news, the poster added: “We will also be throwing a NYE/leaving party – more info to follow – and it would be great if you could join us for that also!”
While the restaurants in this chain are not technically in the Michelin- star guide, Nacho is a Michelin-star chef.
Ibérica announced the latest closure of its site in Leeds.
The chain, known for its traditional Spanish dishes and luxurious settings, operated four restaurants in London and one in Leeds.
But RSM, a professional services firm, confirmed the closures of three sites this morning.
The affected locations include Leeds, Canary Wharf, and Marylebone in London.
After being saved by the Camino group, the Farringdon branch continues to run.
Camino has also taken an option on the Victoria site, which has temporarily closed.
The move has secured 40 jobs, but around 23 redundancies have been confirmed in Leeds.
It previously closed restaurants in Glasgow and Manchester.
BBC star chef Glynn Purnell has been forced to apologise after closing his Michelin-starred restaurant – leaving furious customers out of pocket.
Diners with gift vouchers for his self-named restaurant have been told they won’t get a refund after it shut last month.
Purnell has previously trained with Gordon Ramsay and is known to many Brits for his appearances on Saturday Kitchen.
But he closed the top Birmingham restaurant on October 12 after 17 years.
Some loyal customers have been left out of pocket after splashing out hundreds of pounds on gift vouchers.
The Collective, in Leeds, was celebrated for its modern take on British cuisine and had garnered a loyal following since opening.
In a heartfelt statement, the team revealed they had been working on plans to relaunch in January but were blindsided by the closure.
They said: “It is with a heavy heart that we share this update with you.
“After long negotiations, the landlord made the decision to close our doors overnight.”
Rogan and his team had intended to honour bookings through the end of the year but said the decision was “completely out of our hands.”
Samyukta Nair, who has appeared on the popular Channel 4 cooking show, and Claude Bosi, who has won two Michelin stars three times, broke the sad news to fans.
They revealed their beloved Mayfair restaurant Socca, in London, will be serving last orders tomorrow, Saturday, November 30.
Samyukta told Restaurant Online: “It is with great sadness that we have decided to close Socca.
“I have loved working with Claude on this project, and it has been an incredible journey for me and all the team.
“Watching so many diners come through our doors has brought me so much joy, and I want to say a huge thank you for dining with us over the last two years.”
Experts say the cost of living crisis has left customers favouring a cheap dinner over splashing out on fancy evenings out in expensive restaurants, and this has made celeb chefs think twice about whether it’s worth continuing to run their business.
Paul Lochhead, managing director of Drinkstuff, told The Sun: “For celebrity chefs, these ventures are often passion projects rather than primary revenue sources.
“If a restaurant isn’t performing well, it may not be worth the continued investment, especially when compared to the other income streams they have.”
Dr Marc Stierand, director of the institute of business creativity at EHL Hospitality Business School, added that restaurants with one Michelin Star – of which there are around 170 in the UK – may struggle compared to top-end restaurants.
“For restaurants with one-star, they are not “cool” enough to attract international travellers. These restaurants could be empty most days, and the market is very weak now, so it’s just far too expensive [to run them],” he explained.
