Galetti said it was “with a heavy heart”; that she decided to close just seven years after it opened. Photo: Leah Tobey/Getty Images Europe
Celebrity chef and MasterChef judge Monica Galetti is closing her London restaurant as rising minimum wages hit the hospitality industry.
Ms Galetti said , which made the decision to close her Mere restaurant in London's Fitzrovia with a “heavy heart” after opening it in 2017 with her husband David, a sommelier.
In an Instagram post, she said it was “the right time after seven years.” Ms Galetti opened the restaurant, named after her mother and serving French cuisine with a South Pacific twist, after rising through the ranks at Le Gavroche.
She is also a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals. , along with Marcus Wareing.
The decision comes amid turmoil as top chefs close their restaurants due to rising costs.
Hospitality bosses are warning of pressure from higher minimum wages. . The national living wage rose to £11.44 this month, the biggest increase in cash since the introduction of the minimum wage in 1998.
UKHospitality reported that restaurants and bars had to cut staff working hours due to a £3.4 billion increase in annual costs, much of which was due to pay rises.
In March, Jason Atherton announced he was closing its restaurant Pollen Street Social in Mayfair, citing “unacceptably high costs”. Le Gavroche, awarded two Michelin stars, closed earlier this year. Michel Roux Jr. said he needed to find time for a better work-life balance.
Simon Rimmer, presenter of Channel 4's Sunday Brunch TV show, announced in January that he was closing his Greens restaurant in Manchester, blaming rising rents.
Tom Kerridge warned late last year that without more support, There will be widespread restaurant closures on the part of the Government.
Mr Kerridge, who runs a chain of pubs and restaurants across the UK, said: “The hospitality industry has been going through tough times in recent years.”
“The harsh reality for many businesses is that with rising costs and ongoing challenges, time is running out and without further support from the Government they will close their doors.”
He signed an open letter to the Government calling for increased aid, and Ms. Galetti is also among the 200 signatories.
Not only are staffing costs rising, but restaurants are facing higher ingredient and energy bills, pushing many independent owners to the brink.
Research conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses earlier this year found that more than half of small hospitality businesses have experienced a significant increase in their operating costs over the past year.
Ms Galetti refused taking part in MasterChef: The Professionals in 2022, saying: “My family needs me, my restaurant needs me, and trying to balance long days of filming over the next three months with all these commitments meant something had to give.” She returned to the TV show last year.
Mere's last service will be on April 16.
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