“Sometimes there is a time to let go” – Shoreditch restaurant Leroy closes its doors
The restaurant, which was led by sommelier and restaurateur Ed Thaw (pictured) and opened in March 2018, held its last service on Saturday (16 November).
Its closure comes after Leroy lost its star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland earlier this year, having held it since 2019.
In a statement posted to Instagram entitled It is better to burn out than to fade away, Thaw referenced the struggles of the post-Covid trading environment as being behind the decision to close.
“It has been quite the ride but sadly nothing lasts forever,” the statement reads.
“We fought hard against the dying of the light but sometimes there is a time to let go.
“In that time we’ve experienced some incredible highs and lows. It has been, joyfully and painful. Everything that makes life worth living.
“We could not have done it without brilliant staff and suppliers and customers. Our heart breaks not to be able to continue the journey but we can leave knowing that we did all we could.
“Despite what our government may think this is a noble profession and indeed any small business owner has our enduring respect. Only those who run a business, much less a hospitality business post Covid, know how tough it is.
“Use your restaurants or lose them. They need you now more than ever. Out of the blue. Into the black and eventually out the other side.
“Leroy is dead. Long live Leroy.”
