Winchester’s River Cottage Kitchen permanently closes

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen in Winchester has announced its permanent closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement on its website, the restaurant said: “We all face unprecedented challenges from Covid-19 and with a heavy heart, we have made the very difficult and sad decision that River Cottage Kitchen in Winchester will be closing permanently.”

The news comes as in February Fearnley-Whittingstall confirmed the closure of River Cottage restaurant in Bristol after seven years of trading.

Fearnley-Whittingstall said the decision was “extremely difficult” but attributed it to “rising costs and challenging market conditions”, as well as the size and location of the site adding it is no longer a “viable option” for the business.

River Cottage Kitchen continues to operate a site in Axminster, Devon, which reopened on 10 July following the government easing restrictions on the hospitality sector.