Michelin-starred restaurant The Crown At Whitebrook closes

6:18pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By David Deans, Reporter

Head chef James Sommerin at work at The Crown At Whitebrook Head chef James Sommerin at work at The Crown At Whitebrook

ONE of Gwent's two Michelin-starred restaurants, the Crown at Whitebrook, closed suddenly today - with staff blaming financial pressures after the winter's snow.

Ceri Williams, PA for the owner of Mike Davies, said the business had ceased trading and that the restaurant had closed.

She said 20 staff have been let go from the business, based in the Wye Valley near Monmouth.

"We had a Christmas closedown for refurbishment and [with] the snow on top of that, it played havoc with our finances," she said.

One would-be diner contacted us after attempting to book a table at the Crown at Whitebrook restaurant – she was told that the venue had shut.

The Crown is one of a only four restaurants in Wales to have the prized Michelin Star status, and has held it for seven successive years. The other Gwent restaurant with a Michelin star is the Walnut Tree near Abergavenny.

In October, the Crown was one of two Monmouthshire restaurants to be voted the best in Wales, scooping first place in the Sunday Times Food List 2012.

It has won three rosettes and a five star gold award from AA and was a open table diners choice winner in 2012.

The AA rosettes were awarded in recognition of the venue's culinary excellence.

The Crown's staff included celebrity chef James Sommerin, from Pontypool, who started at the Crown as sous chef and became head chef in 2003.

The restaurant had won many plaudits from food writers, and guide book firm Lonely Planet said that its "elegant dining room and riverside setting may conspire to ignite romance in the hardest of hearts."

It was one of the few in Wales to offer accomodation and offered eight bedrooms.

On his Twitter feed, James Sommerin said: "Thanks for all the great comments. I'm not going anywhere Wales is home. Rise like the phoenix. Hopefully won't be long #watchthisspace"

Comments(13)

Llanmartinangel says...
7:19pm Wed 6 Mar 13

God alive, Wales really is poor isn't it. Edinburgh has 5 Michelin star restaurants in the city alone, two more than the whole of Wales. Not a single one in Cardiff.

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On the inside says...
7:30pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The staff have not been 'let go' they have been unfairly dismissed due to the lack of any procedure.

I hope this is not yet another small business that has traded way past the point where it can meet its obligations to pay wages, holiday pay, notice pay, and redundancy pay. If it has then the costs will be thrown onto the taxpayer via the redundancy payments service.

I am of course sympathetic to the difficulties a well respected Welsh business has experienced during these difficult times. I just don't want my money used to pay for it.

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Llanmartinangel says...
7:37pm Wed 6 Mar 13

On the inside wrote:
The staff have not been 'let go' they have been unfairly dismissed due to the lack of any procedure.

I hope this is not yet another small business that has traded way past the point where it can meet its obligations to pay wages, holiday pay, notice pay, and redundancy pay. If it has then the costs will be thrown onto the taxpayer via the redundancy payments service.

I am of course sympathetic to the difficulties a well respected Welsh business has experienced during these difficult times. I just don't want my money used to pay for it.
Why not? A huge amount of 'your money' is about to be burned in an airport.

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yesnaby says...
7:46pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Lonely plant!

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merlin the silure says...
7:55pm Wed 6 Mar 13

a great shame-possibly the closing for renovations wasnt the best timing in the world-had some great food there.

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Ken.webb says...
8:40pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Another great asset gone. It is a great loss.

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scraptheWAG says...
9:10pm Wed 6 Mar 13

wales is now the poorest country in the whole of western europe

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Phil.b1 says...
9:18pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Been a couple of times great food and atmosphere, but really guys shutting down over Christmas and new year a really busy time in the hospitality trade!! Refurb in January when normally quiet!! Also why a p.a for the director when only twenty staff!! Delusions from the management!!

Obviously poorly run business and should be left to good businessmen, excellent chef though!!

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Howie' says...
9:22pm Wed 6 Mar 13

A real shame, fantastic venue and very busy the last time I went. Lovely food and brilliant staff, I thought it had everything going for it.

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Floppy backed says...
10:35am Thu 7 Mar 13

I was surprised when he pulled out from the Celtic as it was amazing however, I can only imagine the overheads of having the restaurant there. With losing £40k for the last few years and cumulative debt of over £1m there is some poor booking keeping going on and as soon as it started to slip he should of taken action and dropped the Michelin star when times were tough. The Michelin star seems to be the death of so many and really all us foodie's want is excellent food. From experience this area of wales just isnt foodie enough and spending over £100 for a meal for two just cant be justified and wonder if he had the footfall in the week. Once I saw he was on Groupon I did start to wonder. It is a real shame as we just dont have decent restaurants in this part of Wales and Newport is horrific. Gutting for a great chef but it wasnt a viable business was it?

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Floppy backed says...
10:38am Thu 7 Mar 13

Llanmartinangel wrote:
On the inside wrote:
The staff have not been 'let go' they have been unfairly dismissed due to the lack of any procedure.

I hope this is not yet another small business that has traded way past the point where it can meet its obligations to pay wages, holiday pay, notice pay, and redundancy pay. If it has then the costs will be thrown onto the taxpayer via the redundancy payments service.

I am of course sympathetic to the difficulties a well respected Welsh business has experienced during these difficult times. I just don't want my money used to pay for it.
Why not? A huge amount of 'your money' is about to be burned in an airport.
Agree what a muppet!!! He obviously hasnt ever run a business nor has any idea what he's talking about.

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Robindabank says...
8:10pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Horsemeat

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Gw Ent says...
12:35pm Tue 12 Mar 13

Gwent does not exist. It was a failed local government experiment. Born 1974 to universal hatred. Died 1996. SIXTEEN YEARS AGO!

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