Flor shutters permanently its Borough Market site

The restaurant, which opened in the summer of 2019 and is currently ranked at number 49 on the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards top 100 list, had recently been repositioned as a bakery and wine shop​ ​but has now closed completely. 

Flor Bakery at Spa Terminus in Bermondsey, which launched late last year and is being overseen by pastry chef Helen Evans, will continue to operate. 

In an Instagram post​​, Lowe said: "We’re terribly sad to close but we are very excited to see how Flor Bakery develops.

"As many of you have already come to see, based out of Spa Terminus is our newest venture, spearheaded by Helen and her team of incredibly talented bakers. Helen’s impassioned focus is on bread and pastry made with heritage and long-straw grain varieties, with a commitment to supporting more resilient agricultural practices like the agroforestry approach, and regenerative farming methods.

"Most importantly though… they taste all the better for it."

Lowe opened Flor in partnership with John Ogier​​, the pair having previously launched Lyle's together back in 2014. However, Ogier later stepped away from the business​​, describing the move at the time as an 'incredibly tough decision'.

The restaurant, which took its cues from the buvettes of Paris and the pintxos bars of San Sebastián, was led by head chef Pamela Yung, who was also instrumental in the launch and creative direction of ASAP Pizza​​, the pizza takeaway brand that operated out of the Flor site at various intervals during the pandemic. 

"We want to give a huge thanks for all the hard work and effort put in by those who worked here, from its crazy busy beginning, through lockdowns, via ASAP Pizza and then reopening last summer," Lowe said.

"We’d also like to thank everyone who supported and supplied us through the last couple of years. It was very special to be a part of and you won’t be forgotten."

Flor was launched in partnership with JKS, the group behind Indian restaurants Gymkhana and Trishna that has also invested in restaurants including the now two-starred Kitchen Table, the one-star Sabor and Bao’s growing portfolio of Taiwanese restaurants.

In a separate Instagram post​​, JKS said the Borough Market site on Bedale Street 'remains within the JKS family', suggesting the group plans to launch another concept in the space.