Simon Wood, 48, said his fine dining establishment WOOD Manchester had ceased trading. (Image: SWNS)
A TV chef has announced the sudden closure of his Michelin Star-recommended restaurant – saying “We just cannot make this work”.
Simon Wood, 48, said his fine dining establishment WOOD Manchester had ceased trading as it faced down rent arrears, rising bills and spiralling ingredients costs.
The dad of four from Saddleworth, Manchester, opened his self-titled bistro seven years ago, creating dishes with ‘seasonal, high welfare and foraged’ produce.
Guests could expect to fork out £125 for his ‘Chef’s Selection Menu’ and wine flight – which featured Veal Sweetbreads and hand-dived scallops.
And today the restaurant’s website was still advertising its £60 per head Christmas menu when Simon took to social media to say it had shut for good.
WOOD Manchester was Michelin-recommended in 2019 and has won the double AA Rosette award. (Image: SWNS)
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He opened WOOD Manchester in 2017 and WoodKraft, in Cheltenham, in 2018. (Image: SWNS)
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 dining scene and I’m very proud of what the team and I have achieved.
“Sadly with 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.
“I’d like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the years.”
Simon was a data scientist for almost 20 years before he quit his job and took on a career in hospitality.
He became a professional chef aged 38 in 2015 when he won the amateur version of MasterChef.
Simon then went on to open WOOD Manchester in 2017 and WoodKraft, in Cheltenham, in 2018.
WOOD Manchester was Michelin-recommended in 2019 and has won the double AA Rosette award.
Last year, 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 it’s 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].
“Also, most definitely the shouting, swearing, raw intensity, you see in these programmes, I think, is all very factual – It’s true to the life of a functioning kitchen.”