Paul Heathcote 'hangs up his apron' and puts The Longridge Restaurant up for sale
In a post on the restaurant website titled 'Paul Heathcote hangs up his apron' he confirmed The Longridge Restaurant, which also features a cookery school, will be placed on the market however his other projects will continue to operate as before.
It is not the first time the restaurant will be on the market after Heathcote originally announced his intention to sell in 2009, marketing the property with Christie & Co. At the time he attributed the sale to his desire to concentrate on the rollout of the Olive Press pizzeria bar and grill brand however he ended up not selling.
"Twenty-two years is a long time to be cooking at one place, few restaurants last the duration of half that and I can look back on it with many happy and proud memories. Of course Heathcotes Brasserie and the Olive Press on Winckley Square continue to serve smart casual food as they have done for 17 years," he said.
Heathcote also continues to run an outside catering company - Heathcotes Outside.
Recession
In 2010 Heathcote blamed the closure of Simply Heathcotes in Liverpool and the Leeds Olive Press on the recession and poor footfall. Also that year Heathcote sold the majority of the rest of his portfolio to Tim Bacon's Living Ventures group with five restaurants including three Olive Press sites changing hands.
Since opening up The Longridge Restaurant near Preston in the Ribble Valley in 1990, the chef has won several awards including AA Rosettes and an Egon Ronay Chef of the Year prize while the restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars in 1994.
In 2009 he was awarded an MBE by the Queen and earlier this year Heathcote was named in the Top 50 northern hospitality industry members in the inaugural Northern Restaurant and Bar Show list.
Heathcote, who is this month supporting the charity Hospitality Action at The Longridge Restaurant, thanked a long list of suppliers, front of house staff and chefs including Raymond Blanc, Mark Hix and Michael Wignall who had helped along the way or cooked in the restaurant. "Thank you for being part of our success and for being part of our celebration," he added.
