Restaurant owners have bemoaned the devastating impact Britain’s split with the European Union has had on the industry, saying it has been even more severe than the Covid-19 pandemic.
Michel Roux Jr announced this weekend that the famed Le Gavroche in Mayfair is set to close after 56 years following a long and illustrious history.
Speaking to The Time he said the consequences of Brexit had made things extremely difficult for his business.
“The day-to-day pressure of running a restaurant is not getting any easier”, he said. “Living through and coming back from the pandemic didn’t do my mental health any good. I feel for any young independent restauranteaur opening up now.
“Brexit has put a huge spanner in the works in terms of supplies, staffing and costs.”
River Café founder Ruth Rogers also echoed his concerns, saying the split has pushed up prices to unsustainable levels.
Watch her comments in full below:
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