One of Alderley Edge's most established restaurants to close next month

by Lisa Reeves

Thursday 5^th August 2021

Thu 5^th Aug 2021

One of Alderley Edge's most established restaurants has announced it will be shutting it doors for the last time next month.

The Alderley Bar & Grill on London Road will close on Sunday, 5th September.

Owners Individual Restaurants Company has announced it is to close four restaurants, including The Restaurant Bar & Grill in Manchester and their Piccolino branches in Clitheroe and York.
The closures see 140 jobs affected, with the business entering a period of consultation at each of the referenced restaurants.

Karen Forrester, Executive Chairperson of Individual Restaurants Company, commented: "The closure of these sites is part of a long-term investment and development plan for the future of Individual Restaurants.

"Our main priority is to keep our people within our Individual Restaurants family by offering opportunities to relocate to other Individual Restaurants' locations, we will be supporting them throughout this process."

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Duncan Herald

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 9:24 am

The 'explanation' above dos not really explain.
Anyone know why the closure? Lack of footfall? Lack of parking? Prices too high? Too much competition?

Vince Chadwick

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 1:26 pm

It could be something to do with this. The same reason farmers can no longer get East European labour to pick crops, and the HGV industry cannot keep the supply chain operating now East European truck drivers avoid working to or in post-brexit Britain. The same reason a Portuguese waiter we were talking to in a Cheshire pub and who we knew from his years in another (now closed) local restaurant has in his own words 'had it with post brexit Britain' and has since gone home:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-57638103

Mr Butcher said: "many chefs left the industry while furloughed..... but he added the main problem was Brexit".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsa2Ato9pY8

Leigh Price

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 3:12 pm

either that Vince.. or that they lost £7.5m in 2019 and have yet to file their latest accounts which are 6 months overdue.

Monica Sim

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 3:16 pm

Perhaps employers will now start to invest in training our own young people in the restaurant trade rather than relying upon cheaper labour from other countries and make it an attractive proposition for them instead of them thinking that university is the only choice available.

David Alexander Connor

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 4:37 pm

Well said Monica.

It will also make owners start to think "outside the box".
Set up their own training programme and if appropriate share the programme with other restaurants in the area.

Make the whole subject of working in the trade more exciting.
For good performers dangle the carrot of bonuses or even an equity stake!

Vince Chadwick

Tuesday 10^th August 2021 at 6:16 pm

Monica, that's something that has always been a possibility. Nothing has changed to suddenly enable that to happen but generally it hasn't. However, it is a somewhat parochial view in a globalised world (and it's a globalised world we live in and nothing we do will change that) where opportunities for work should be two-way street.

British job seekers and experienced individuals following a career used to be able to take up opportunities to work and reside anywhere in the EU without hassle and many did - now they cannot.

If you can point to something desirable we can now do having left the EU which we could not do while a benefiting and participating member, I would be delighted to hear it. I can point to countless examples of the reverse.

Duncan Herald

Sunday 15^th August 2021 at 9:42 am

The word 'on the street', (how cool is that?) suggests that another dining group are 'interested'; anyone know about that?

Duncan Herald

Monday 16^th August 2021 at 10:25 am

Rumour says 'The Ivy' ! We shall see !