Marco Pierre White sells pub amid boycott

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White has sold one of his UK gastropubs amid rumours of a mass walkout by staff.

Hell’s Kitchen’s Marco Pierre White in his trademark bandana

The Pear Tree Inn in Wiltshire reportedly had just one single manager at its helm last month after staff, including its head chef, abandoned ship allegedly driven away by the chef’s “bossy” style of management, as reported by The Telegraph.

White’s alleged refusal to engage with locals on what they wanted from their local pub has been blamed for the pub’s failure with patrons said to be exasperated by its high cost.

Terry Chivers, a councillor who has been drinking in the pub for 20 years, said that White replaced local beers with wines, removed all draught lagers and instead stocked up on just one expensive bottled lager.

He told The Telegraph: “I’ve heard the place is losing £2,000 a week – that’s just the rumours though.

“The place should be a goldmine but people aren’t going in any more.

“The locals are sick of it. You walk up to the bar and it takes ten to 15 minutes to get served.

“I hope whoever has got it will engage with the locals from the start and get them back into the bar.”

A statement on the pub’s website currently reads: “Closing for the summer period during which time we will be carrying out re-furbishments.  We are planning to reopen at the end of September.”

A spokesperson for White confirmed the pub was sold on Thursday with removal vans already emptying the site and new owners due to take over shortly.

White bought The Pear Tree Inn in 2011 as one of six pubs from The Maypole Group which went into administration.