Bristol River Cottage restaurant to close at end of March

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says restaurant ‘cannot find a way to continue trading’

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is closing his Bristol restaurant next month as he becomes the latest celebrity chef to be hit by the dining industry crisis.

The campaigning cook blamed “rising costs and challenging market conditions” as well as the size and location of River Cottage Canteen Bristol for the decision to close it on 27 March. It is not clear how many jobs will be affected, but the company said it hoped to offer affected staff alternative employment “where possible”.