Simon Wood, 48, said his fine dining establishment WOOD Manchester had ceased trading (Image: No credit)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeAcclaimed TV chef and Masterchef star Simon Wood has had to shut down his esteemed WOOD Manchester, revealing it’s the end of the road for his restaurant due to insurmountable financial struggles. The 48 year old chef, beloved father of four from Saddleworth, Manchester, announced the heart-breaking news that after seven years serving fine dining with a focus on ‘seasonal, high welfare and foraged’ ingredients, he can no longer keep his doors open. Even as the bistro’s website continued to tempt foodies with its £60 Christmas menu, Simon took to social media to deliver the sombre update and expressed his heartfelt thanks to patrons and supporters throughout the astonishing journey his team embarked upon.
Simon’s restaurant, Wood, is now closed
(Image: No credit)
The sad announcement came via Facebook where Simon penned: “Dear Friends, Customers and Suppliers of WOOD Manchester.” He continued with sorrow, “It is with much regret that I have to inform you that I must close the doors here at WOOD for good, with immediate effect.” Simon had previously slammed a group of diners for failing to show up at his restaurant last month, even though they’d booked a chef’s table experience. At the time, he posted: “An actual image of my chefs table at 8pm last night. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the table of 5 that no showed, no even a phone call or a courtesy so I could resell the table.” He added: “What a way [to] support a small business. Much appreciated, you T****.” However he has shared his pride for what his team accomplished during their time in Manchester’s culinary scene, but admitted defeat saying, “Sadly with COVID rent arrears now being demanded by our landlord and an increasingly difficult marketplace, energy increases, ingredient costs and soon to be spiralling business rates we just cannot make this work.” In conclusion, he offered his gratitude: “I’d like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the years.” Simon spent nearly two decades as a data scientist before making a career change to the hospitality industry. He turned professional chef at 38 after winning MasterChef’s amateur competition in 2015. Two years later, he opened WOOD Manchester, followed by WoodKraft in Cheltenham in 2018. WOOD Manchester earned a Michelin recommendation in 2019 and a double AA Rosette award.
Simon believes shows like The Bear, which expose the challenges faced by hospitality professionals, have given chefs the respect they deserve
(Image: No credit)
Simon believes shows like The Bear, which expose the challenges faced by hospitality professionals, have given chefs the respect they deserve. He shared, “I have seen all the things that happen on these shows at some point – even in the space of 40 minutes.” “People love the drama that comes with high-end hospitality, and I think it’s all shown in drama TV programmes like The Bear and Boiling Point. It can be just as intense in real life. You get stressful moments where all the cheques arrive at once, or someone drops the sauce, burns the food and cuts their fingers. The flare-ups between each other [are realistic]. Also, most definitely the shouting, swearing, raw intensity, you see in these programmes, I think, is all very factual – It’s true to the life of a functioning kitchen.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnFriendsMasterchefDramaChristmas
