Michelin-starred Welsh restaurant faces eviction

One of the six Michelin-starred restaurants in Wales, Restaurant James Sommerin, faces an uncertain future after reports emerge that it has been told to vacate its Penarth home by the building’s landlord.

According to Wales Online, Restaurant James Sommerin, which opened in 2014, will not welcome back diners when lockdown restrictions are lifted in the country on 3 August.

The publication states that the restaurant signage has been removed, despite the fact that up until recently, the restaurant had been offering a takeaway service.

The building’s landlord Richard Hayward told Wales Online that the business was no longer financially viable and he was arranging for new tenants to occupy the space.

“The debt was rising and we had to tell them to go,” he said.

The restaurant, which is run by chef James Sommerin, along with wife and general manager Louise, and daughter and sous chef Georgia, began offering a takeaway service in May in order to “survive” and pay bills and rent. The Sommerin family had previously taken part in a local initiative to feed NHS workers.

Back in November last year, it was reported that Sommerin was set to open a second restaurant in a new development in Barry. Restaurant James Sommerin was first awarded a Michelin star in 2017, and last year was one of just six restaurants in the country to be given the accolade.

the drinks business has contacted the restaurant for comment.

It follows news of the Crown Estate introducing a turnover-based rent payment system for its restaurant tenants in London’s West End.

Earlier this month it was announced that pubs, restaurants and bars in Wales could open indoors from 3 August providing Covid-19 cases continue to fall. This means that Welsh hospitality is reopening a month after businesses in England and Northern Ireland were permitted to resume trading.