January is always the toughest month for restaurants, with the Christmas splurge over and diners watching their wallets and waistlines. But a January in the middle of a cost of living crisis, stalked by Covid and Brexit? It’s existential.
The news has been littered with stories of post-Christmas closures. Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer was forced to close Greens, his restaurant in Didsbury, after a 35% rent increase. Phil Vickery’s restaurant, The Merryfellow, shut this month, citing bills, cost of living, and the lack of support from government. Local newspapers are dotted with closures of acclaimed restaurants: Knutsford Courthouse, the Smoke House in Cardiff, Greens in Gretna. Even Wetherspoons is selling off its pubs.
In 2023, at least 2,240 restaurants shut their doors. If the big places are struggling to survive, what about those we walk past every day? The Big Issue is a business that acutely feels the pressures on the high street. If footfall and ready cash is down, we’re a canary in the mine. It’s vital we support the lifeforce of Britain’s town
