Prominent restaurants Sorrel in Dorking and Berber & Q in Haggerston (pictured) have ceased trading this week as the hospitality industry continues to grapple with tough trading conditions.
Sorrel was founded by chef Steve Drake nine years ago and achieved consecutive top-20 placings on the Harden’s 100 list of the UKs best restaurants in 2023 and 24. Steve announced its immediate closure this week, after trying to sell the business earlier this summer as going concern under chef-patron Alex Payne.
He said: “It’s been a very difficult decision to make, but I have no choice. It feels like a bereavement. The financials of running an independent restaurant simply don’t work and we have lost a lot of money trying to keep it afloat.
“I am devastated for Alex and the team, who have been doing and fantastic job with the new menu and now need to find new job, which will be difficult in this climate. Everyone loses and I am truly sorry.
“I want to thank all of our amazing customers and team members, it’s never taken for granted and I appreciate how much support we have had over the years.”
Berber & Q Grill House was the original site from chef Josh Katz, opening in a railway arch in 2015 when it blazed a double trail that a generation of barbecue and Middle Eastern-inspired restaurants have since followed. Josh’s own follow-ups, Shawarma Bar in Exmouth Market and restaurant Carmel in Queen’s Park, remain open for business as usual, while the arch will be used for catering and special events, including “occasional fire-led feasts”.
Announcing a final dinner service tonight (31 July), Josh said: “Over the years, the arch has been home to extraordinary teams, incredible guests and countless evenings we’ll never forget. To everyone who’s walked through our doors over the last eleven years, thank you.“