A TOP chef, who recently announced the closure of his Michelin-praised restaurant, has teased his next project.
Roger Hickman also revealed why he had mysteriously shut down the fine-dining joint in Norwich.
Chef Roger Hickman shared his plans for the future[/caption]
Roger Hickman’s will close on March 30[/caption]
The hailed chef, who will be closing the doors of the self-named Richard Hickman’s Restaurant on March 30, said it did not spell the end of his time in the industry.
He said: “While the restaurant as we know it will close, I’m looking forward to focusing on a few different projects and investments.
“I’ll also continue to offer personal private dining services in customers’ homes and, until the sale goes through, I will make the restaurant and its private dining room available for private hire and special events.”
Roger opened the beloved venue in February 2010 – later winning three AA rosettes and a recommendation in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland.
The joint served up up-market British cuisine, including fish dishes and local meat – praised as “modern” and “intricate”.
But the top chef admitted “the industry has changed dramatically”.
“It’s been an extraordinary journey, but after 15 years, I’ve decided it’s time to put the restaurant on the market for sale,” he explained.
“The industry has changed dramatically and so have the ways in which people dine.
“Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I feel it is the right moment to move on.”
He also acknowledged the significant challenges the hospitality industry has faced in recent years.
“The cost of living crisis, skyrocketing utility bills and the rising costs of produce and materials have made it difficult to operate,” he said.
“These pressures have forced menu prices to rise but at the same time customers simply don’t have the resources to dine as often as they would like.
“With fewer bums on seats and the ever-increasing expenses, it’s become almost impossible for small businesses to survive.”
Hickman was for many years the head chef of Adlard’s, which had a Michelin star, and took over the site when founding chef David Adlard moved on.
Celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge and Aiden Byrne, who is a close personal friend of Hickman, also worked in this kitchen.
Despite its success, Hickman’s was the subject of a scathing review from Jay Rayner for The Guardian in 2016, who called the partridge dish a “disaster” and even suggested the pumpkin soup could have been made from puppy.
The establishment was handed a one-star hygiene rating in 2021 and a two-star rating in 2024 by city food inspectors – but quickly bounced back to a perfect five stars in the following months.
At the time, Hickman said: “We have all really taken on board the feedback from the council at the last visit which related specifically to an additional piece of equipment required, the movement of a blue roll dispenser and updated training for the team.”
The closure comes as another top chef has been forced to shut down his Michelin-starred restaurant just months after it lost its star.
Leroy, in Leonard Street, Shoreditch, sadly announced it would be closing its doors after seven years of serving devoted fans.
Meanwhile, another TV star opened up about his “lost dream” after shutting an award-winning restaurant.
Top chef Simon Wood said his fine dining establishment WOOD, in Manchester, said things were “bleak” amid the forced closure.
Elsewhere, another restaurant owner was forced to shut his Michelin-starred establishment overnight, claiming the decision was completely out of his hands.
The eatery was boarded up after the landlord “made the decision to close” the doors.
Plus, a chef who worked at one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants has announced he will shutter his food spot, leaving diners devastated.
Experts say the cost of living crisis has left customers favouring a cheap dinner over splashing out on fancy evenings in expensive restaurants, and this has made celeb chefs think twice about whether it’s worth continuing to run their business.
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
Roger blamed rising bills for the closure[/caption]
