BBC MasterChef star left with ‘no option’ as he’s forced to close restaurant: ‘There is no hiding’
BBC MasterChef star Tom Kitchin has announced the “difficult decision” to close his Edinburgh restaurant KORA.
The hammer blow comes two-and-a-half years after the eatery opened its doors with a pledge to “explore the very best of seasonal Scottish” cuisine.
Kitchin, 47, became Scotland’s youngest winner of a Michelin star at the age of 29 in 2007 with his first restaurant in Edinburgh, The Kitchin.
The decorated chef also owns The Scran & Scallie gastropub in the Scottish capital and The Bonnie Badger in Gullane, East Lothian.
As well as his restaurant ventures, Kitchin has become a regular face on the BBC’s popular cooking shows MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen.
KORA, which took its name from the Greek goddess of flowers, vegetation and spring, was celebrated in The Michelin Guide for its “nature-to-plate ethos” and “simply presented, reimagined brasserie classics”.
Local delicacies served in the restaurant – found in Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Place – included Loch Etive trout and tempura of Scrabster cod.
Despite KORA’s success, Kitchin has announced one his newest ventures in the Scottish capital will soon cease trading.
The news was confirmed on social media by the chef and the restaurants official Instagram account.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported KORA over the years. We have made the very tough decision to wrap KORA up at the end of this month,” the statement began.
It continued: “KORA by Tom Kitchin has always been a restaurant which we felt really passionate about and we are proud of the great food, service and experiences we have provided to our guests over the past few years.”
Thanking the eatery’s guests and suppliers, the statement credited them with being “instrumental in KORA’s success.”
“Our incredible team has really shown visitors to Edinburgh how incredible Scottish fare is and how proud we are to promote Scottish hospitality,” it added.
The sombre tone of the statement was briefly broken with a promise that Kitchin and his team had “every intention to bring the KORA concept back to Edinburgh one day.”
The chef’s award-winning flagship restaurant and his gastropub will remain open in the Scottish capital.
Delving into the reasons for the closure, the statement admitted money troubles had forced the decision.
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“There is no hiding that the current economic climate contributed to this difficult decision. We have no option but to exercise our lease break clause which is now due,” it revealed.
One silver lining for fans of the Scottish restaurant was the promise that any already purchased gift vouchers for KORA would be honoured at Kitchin’s other establishments as “we really value your support”.
Signing off, the statement read: “THANK YOU to everyone who made KORA by Tom Kitchin such a special, happy place to so many of us. Thank you Bruntsfield. The memories will always live on. With love, Tom Kitchin & the KORA team.”