Simon Wood (pictured) announced the shock closure of his acclaimed Manchester restaurant WOOD earlier this week, closely followed by Michael O’Hare confirming the closure of Psycho Sandbar in Leeds – which had only been open for seven months after replacing his famous The Man Behind The Curtain.

Michael said he was proud of what he had achieved in the two restaurants over the past 10 years.

Simon announced the sudden closure of WOOD with a post on X that read: “Dear Friends, Customers and Suppliers of WOOD Manchester. It is with much regret that I have to inform you that I must close the doors here at WOOD for good, with immediate effect.

“We have had 7 years as part of the Manchester City dining scene and I’m very proud of what the team and I have achieved. 

“Sadly with COVID rent arrears now being demanded by our landlord and an increasingly difficult marketplace, energy increases, ingredient costs and soon to be spiralling business rates we just cannot make this work. 

“I’d like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the years. Thank you, Simon.”

The chef also took a parting swipe at no-shows – another financial drain particularly damaging to independent operators in the industry, who struggle to cover the revenue lost through empty tables.

A former data manager, Simon won the BBC MasterChef title in 2015 and opened the ambitious WOOD in the city centre two years later, winning praise in the Harden’s guide for his “quite stunning” cooking and “exceptional tasting menu“.