The Sun has published a list of award winning restaurant closures .
This has become a bit of an obesssion with the Sun which has run similar stories over the last few weeks.
It immediately caught my eye because of a mistake. It listed 1 Michelin starred Hjem in Northumberland as closed. Hjem isn’t closed, it is opening a massive new restaurant later this year at Close House, and is working out of a pop up in County Durham until their new place opens. James Close has done the same with his 2 Michelin Starred Raby Hunt, he is moving to a massive new restaurant at Redworth Hall.
The list is odd for another reason – some of these closures happened over a year ago.
The Sun cites rising inflation, increased staff costs energy, rent and supply cost sand changing customer habits. Repayment of Covid loans has hit too.
Clearly staffing is a massive problem. The Government has a clear economic plan – to move Britain from a low wage, low investment, low growth economy into a high wage, high investment, high growth economy. This isn’t an unreasonable plan, and there are some signs it is starting to work – wages have been growing faster than inflation, business investment is up, if patchy.
To achieve this the Government is shutting off the supply of lower paid workers into the economy, cutting immigration, raising the minimum wage, increasing NI.
The problem is that some industries can’t increase investment and reduce low paid employment. Anyone who has been to a McDonalds recently will have spotted that there are a lot fewer stuff and more digital screens to order food, most of which apparently is bought in advance on an app and collected. This might work for McDonalds but when I go out to spend money part of what I am buying is people – I want the service to be great, I want the barman to recommend a new twist on a favourite cocktail, I want the waiter to be prompt and knowledgable, I want wine recommendations, I want to be tempted to order a desert I didn’t really know I wanted.
I want people.
I don’t want my haircut by a robot like Dick Van Dykes machine in Mary Poppins. I don’t want an AI GP. And I don’t want to order awarding winning food from a touch screen.
Beyond the staffing problems it is worth diving deeper into some of the reasons why these restaurants closed. Some certainly were hit be hard times; Sesta, Pophams Pasta, Mama Dough, Hide in Newcastle, Orme in Manchester
Some are moving to bigger and better things. Hyem isn’t the only one moving on up. The Brilliant (Southall) is closing after 50 years, but is opening a new Brilliant Bistro. James Lyle, Tom Brown Anne Sophie Pic will be back. Silo Hackney is becoming Silo World Tour, Black Axe Mangal are keeping their space and will I am sure be serving again soon.
Claude Bosi at Bibendum, and Le Colombier (South Kensington) were victims of Landlord problems. While I won’t name them the business model [famous chef] at [posh restaurant] business model always carries risks. Six at the Baltic has great views, but is a bit isolated, and there is something sad about eating food while watching people having more fun on the other side of the River.
The Government’s hard line on immigration is hitting some parts of trade, particularly in London. Dosa by Akira Back cited staffing and visa issues, and they aren’t the only ones.
It is hard to feel any sympathy for Royal China Club (Marylebone) after it was fined repeatedly for paying under minimum wage and employing staff without the right to work.
And while it is sad to see restaurants close the UK still has a vibrant restaurant market. But for a market to be vibrant there have to be closures as well as openings.
Otherwise we would all still be eating prawn cocktail at Berni Inn.
This is the Sun Story
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/38383649/award-winning-restaurants-shut-down-including-xxxx
And for those who don’t want to click on the link for moral reasons here is the list:
London
Claude Bosi at Bibendum (Chelsea) – 2 Michelin Stars, 5 AA Rosettes, National Restaurant Award #39 (Closed Aug 2025)
La Dame de Pic (City) – 2 Michelin Stars, 4 AA Rosettes (Closing soon)
Lyle’s (Shoreditch) – 1 Michelin Star, National Restaurant Award #21, Good Food Guide “Exceptional” (Closed May 2025)
The Five Fields (Chelsea) – 1 Michelin Star, 3 AA Rosettes (Closed Feb 2025)
Club Gascon (Smithfield) – 1 Michelin Star, 3 AA Rosettes (Closing March 28, 2026)
Silo (Hackney Wick) – Michelin Green Star, 3 AA Rosettes, National Restaurant Award Top 100 (Closed Dec 20, 2025)
Sesta (Hackney) – National Restaurant Award “One to Watch” Finalist, Good Food Guide Favourite (Closed Dec 2025)
Le Colombier (South Kensington) – Good Food Guide (Closed December 2025)
FKABAM (Islington) – Good Food Guide Favourite (Closed Dec 2025)
Pearly Queen (Shoreditch) – Good Food Guide (Closed Sept 2025)
Lyon’s (Crouch End) – Good Food Guide, Seafood Specialist (Closed Oct 2025)
Popham’s Pasta (Hackney) – Michelin Recommended, Critics’ Choice (Closed Oct 2025)
Royal China Club (Marylebone) – OpenTable Diners’ Choice (Closing March 8, 2026)
Tandoor Chop House (Charing Cross) – Asian Curry Awards, Good Food Guide (Closed January 2026)
Mamma Dough (Sydenham) – National Pizza Awards “Pizza Chef of the Year” (Closed Jan 2026)
Hello JoJo (Camberwell) – SquareMeal Silver Award (Closed Oct 2025)
Dosa by Akira Back (Mayfair) – 1 Michelin Star (Closed July 2025)
Evernight (Nine Elms) – National Restaurant Awards #64 (Closed August 2025)
The Brilliant (Southall) – British Curry Awards, Asian Curry Awards (Closed April 7, 2025)
North East England
Hjem (Wall, Northumberland) – 1 Michelin Star, 3 AA Rosettes, National Restaurant Award #30/#73 (Closed Dec 31, 2025)
Six Rooftop (Gateshead) – Michelin Recommended (Closed Feb 2026)
Hide (Newcastle) – Michelin Recommended (Closed January 2026)
The Esk Café (Longtown, Cumbria) – Fry Magazine Top 50 Takeaways (Closed Feb 2026)
North West England
Restaurant Örme (Manchester) – Michelin Guide Recommended (Closing 2026)
South East England
Thompson St Albans (Hertfordshire) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed October 2025)
Salt (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed May 2025)
South West England
Crocadon (St Mellion, Cornwall) – 1 Michelin Star, Michelin Green Star, 3 AA Rosettes (Closed Oct 2025)
One Fish Street (St Ives) – Michelin Recommended (Closed Jan 2025)
Midlands
Native (Worcestershire Border) – Michelin Green Star, SquareMeal “Best Sustainable” (Closed March 2025)
Scotland
The Gannet (Glasgow) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed December 2025)
La Garrigue (Edinburgh) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed Nov 2025)
Restaurant Örme (Manchester) – Michelin Guide Recommended (Closing 2026)
South East England
Thompson St Albans (Hertfordshire) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed October 2025)
Salt (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed May 2025)
South West England
Crocadon (St Mellion, Cornwall) – 1 Michelin Star, Michelin Green Star, 3 AA Rosettes (Closed Oct 2025)
One Fish Street (St Ives) – Michelin Recommended (Closed Jan 2025)
Midlands
Native (Worcestershire Border) – Michelin Green Star, SquareMeal “Best Sustainable” (Closed March 2025)
Scotland
The Gannet (Glasgow) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed December 2025)
La Garrigue (Edinburgh) – 3 AA Rosettes (Closed Nov 2025)