Top chef who worked for Richard Branson puts restaurant up for sale in ‘difficult decision’ after drop in customers

A WORLD-class chef who dished up grub for Richard Branson is selling his restaurant after struggling to draw in punters.

Graham Brundle, who trained at the Ritz in London, has put the Devon eatery on the market for £1.6million.

Brundle's Bar and Restaurant became a hot spot in Woolacombe after it opened in 2019.

Serving up a mixture of French, Asian and British cuisine, the restaurant is now labelled as "permanently closed" on Google.

It was part of the redevelopment of the derelict Narracott Hotel.

The site was transformed into Byron, a development of 55 fancy apartments with a private pool, gym and sauna.

It is now used for holiday accommodation, boasting views of Woolacombe beach.

Graham travelled the world cooking for the Virgin billionaire, Bill Gates and even members of the royal family.

Hailing from the coastal town, Graham decided to set down roots in Woolacombe.

But tragically a lack of footfall resulted in Brundle's demise.

In 2023 Graham told followers that they would be closing for the winter season earlier than normal.

"Sunday 26th November will be our last day open this year," he wrote on Facebook.

"Unfortunately we’ve had to make the difficult decision to shut the doors early this year due to the amount of footfall in Woolacombe.

"In the meantime, we’ll be hosting our final 2 Thai Buffets so make sure you get yourselves booked in for those, info to follow."

However, the family-friendly restaurant never reopened.

It scored 4/5 on Trip Advisor and was listed as Travellers' Choice in 2024.

One former diner wrote: "What a find in Woolacombe. From the point we stepped into the restaurant until the time we left [it was] amazing.

"Attention to detail and customer service was second to none.

"Not only was the owner receptive to our dog who was served a doggy frappacino but fully attentive to our needs.

"The Thai food was some of the best I have tasted anywhere, even in Bali.

"If you do not visit here, you will miss out. A little treasure focused on providing good food using the best and freshest ingredients," they added.

Other guests raved about the Sunday roasts on offer and the friendly staff.

It is being marketed by Match Property Estate Agents who branded Brundle's as a "prime beachfront location".

They also dismissed Graham's dwindling footfall claims and said Woolacombe is experiencing "something of a renaissance".

They added: "Already one the UK’s premier holiday and local destinations, Woolacombe is set to become renowned internationally as one of the best places to visit in the UK."

It comes amid a challenging time for the hospitality sector as weak consumer spending and high costs have bruised the sector.

Former Masterchef finalist Tony Rodd was forced to close his restaurant in Blackheath, London after five years this January.

The tattooed chef who appeared on BBC's hit programme back in 2015, said rising energy costs left him with no choice but to pull down the shutters for good.

At the time, the chef told The Sun that a "terrifying" £80,000 energy bill had left him struggling to sleep.

Elsewhere, This Morning chef Tom Brown closed his diner in Hackney, London this June citing high costs and changing customer habits.

What is happening in the hospitality industry?

Food and drink chains in general have been suffering 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.

Revolution Bars Group shuttered 11 locations on August 11 as part of a major overhaul.

It added a further undisclosed site will close, or has already closed.

The chain currently operates 38 Revolution-branded sites across the UK.

Bars will welcome in guests for the final time in Blackpool, Chester and Norwich next month.

Plus, Premier Inn owner Whitbread is set to axe 1,500 jobs and close over 200 restaurants and pubs in the coming months.

Whitbread plans to slash its chain of branded restaurants across the UK in favour of building more hotel rooms.

Elsewhere, some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year.

Pizza giant, Papa Johns announced plans earlier this year to shut down 43 of its stores.

Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shutter the sites as part of major restructuring plans.

The brand also announced plans to close 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.

Britain's biggest pub company, Stonegate, previously raised fears about its survival as it races to plug its debts.

Stonegate owns 4,432 sites across the UK under the Slug & Lettuce, Be at One, Sports Bar & Grill brands and 350 traditional style pubs under its “Proper Pubs” banner.

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