MasterChef winner suddenly closes his Michelin-recommended restaurant as he blames soaring costs and landlord chasing Covid rent arrears
A MasterChef winner has announced the sudden closure of his Michelin Star-recommended restaurant amid rent arrears and soaring costs.
A MasterChef winner has announced the sudden closure of his Michelin Star-recommended restaurant amid rent arrears and soaring costs.
Simon Wood, 48, opened his self-titled bistro WOOD Manchester seven years ago but has now ceased trading at the venue - saying We just cannot make this work.
The father-of-fours fine dinery establishment saw guests fork out £125 for his Chefs Selection Menu and wine flight - which featured Veal Sweetbreads and hand-dived scallops.
Simon, who became a professional chef aged 38 in 2015 when he won the amateur version of MasterChef, took the restaurant to a double AA Rosette award and Michelin-recommendation in 2019.
On Wednesday, the restaurants website was still advertising its £60 per head Christmas menu when Simon took to social media to say it had shut for good.
He told customers that he was very proud of what his team had achieve, but stressed the restaurant couldnt remain open in an increasingly difficult marketplace.
Simon Wood, 48, became a professional chef aged 38 in 2015 when he won the amateur version of MasterChef
Simon opened his self-titled bistro WOOD Manchester seven years ago but has now ceased trading at the venue - saying We just cannot make this work
Simon took the restaurant to a double AA Rosette award and Michelin-recommendation in 2019
Writing in a post on Facebook, he said: Dear Friends, Customers and Suppliers of WOOD Manchester.
It is with much regret that I have to inform you that I must close the doors here at WOOD for good, with immediate effect.
We have had 7 years as part of the Manchester City dining scene and Im very proud of what the team and I have achieved.
Sadly with COVID rent arrears now being demanded by our landlord and an increasingly difficult marketplace, energy increases, ingredient costs and soon to be spiralling business rates we just cannot make this work.
Id like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the years.
WOOD Manchesters closure comes as many other restaurants struggle to survive in the current climate.
According to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by accountancy firm Price Bailey, 1,932 restaurants entered insolvency in 2023, equating to an average of more than five closures per day.
Last year, the number of restaurants closing was also up 45% from 2022.
Matt Howard, Head of the Insolvency and Recovery at Price Bailey, said many hospitality businesses were on life support.
Simon was a data scientist for almost 20 years before he quit his job and took on a career in hospitality.
The interior of Simons Wood restaurant in Manchester, which he opened in 2017
Simon was a data scientist for almost 20 years before he quit his job and took on a career in hospitality
The chef then went on to open WOOD Manchester in 2017 and WoodKraft, in Cheltenham, in 2018.
Wood Manchester was awarded a Michelin Recommended, which means a restaurant has been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide for serving food to a high level but hasn’t yet been awarded a coveted star.
Simon said acclaimed shows like The Bear, which revealed the struggles faced by many in the hospitality industry, gave chefs the respect they deserved.
He said: I have seen all the things that happen on these shows at some point - even in the space of 40 minutes.
People love the drama that comes with high-end hospitality, and I think its all shown in drama TV programmes like The Bear and Boiling Point.
It can be just as intense in real life. You get stressful moments where all the cheques arrive at once, or someone drops the sauce, burns the food and cuts their fingers.
The flare-ups between each other [are realistic].
After winning MasterChef, Simon went on to open WOOD Manchester in 2017 and WoodKraft, in Cheltenham, in 2018.
Simon said acclaimed shows like The Bear (pictured), which revealed the struggles faced by many in the hospitality industry, gave chefs the respect they deserved
Also, most definitely the shouting, swearing, raw intensity, you see in these programmes, I think, is all very factual - Its true to the life of a functioning kitchen.
Also in 2023, Simon was slammed for publicly shaming a customer who made a special request ahead of her reservation at his restaurant.
In the message, the anonymous customer started by asking if they could have a table with a nice view for the occasion.
After this, they then requested the restaurant give them a complimentary pudding as a surprise for their partner.
The email left a bad taste in Simons mouth - which prompted him to share a screenshot of the exchange with his 33,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The post was seen by more than 2.3million people since it was shared last week - and sparked fierce debate in the replies - with some arguing Simon needed to undergo some customer service training.