Celebrity Chef Rick Stein Explains Wiltshire Restaurant Closure
Rick Stein, a well-known chef, presenter, and restaurateur, has shared the reasons behind the unexpected closure of his only Wiltshire restaurant. The Marlborough location, which opened in 2016 as his sixth restaurant in England, featured signature dishes like Dover sole a la meunière and turbot hollandaise.
In an exclusive interview with the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, Stein discussed the closure and his current business challenges while promoting a new book and TV appearance.
"We decided to close because there just wasn’t enough business," Stein said. "We’re not going under, but we are having to restructure our business just because of the hard time we’re going through."
The chef highlighted that the hospitality industry as a whole is struggling, attributing difficulties to the government's recent budget and tough economic conditions.
"Personally, I think it’s a mixture of the government’s last budget and the quite grim economic time we have been going through."
Background on Rick Stein's Wiltshire Restaurant
- Opened in Marlborough in 2016
- Featured classic Rick Stein dishes
- Sixth Rick Stein restaurant in England
- Closed suddenly on October 5
Chef's Perspective on Business Restructuring
Stein emphasized that closing the Marlborough site was a difficult but necessary step amid declining customer numbers and economic strain.
"The whole hospitality industry is suffering," he noted.
Despite the closure, Stein reassures that his overall business is not failing but adapting to current challenges.
Summary
Rick Stein closed his Wiltshire restaurant due to economic hardships and fewer customers, highlighting broader struggles in hospitality and the need to restructure.