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Last Update: 24 September 2026
The story around Michelin-starred restaurant closures in the UK has changed considerably during 2026.
When this article was first published in February, attention was focused on chef Glynn Purnell and the planned closure of The Mount by Glynn Purnell in Henley-in-Arden. That restaurant has since served its final guests, while several restaurants that actually held Michelin stars in the 2026 Guide have also closed.
Among the most significant are Somssi by Jihun Kim in London, Simpsons in Birmingham, Sorrel in Dorking and Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall near Norwich. Michelin’s current 2026 restaurant list marks all four as closed.
At the same time, it would be misleading to describe UK fine dining as simply collapsing. The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026 launched with 230 starred restaurants, including 20 new One-Star restaurants and two newly awarded Two-Star restaurants. In September alone, Michelin added another 22 restaurants to its wider online selection.
What is happening is more complicated: prestigious restaurants are still opening and winning recognition, but even acclaimed operators are finding that awards alone cannot solve difficult business economics.
Which Michelin-Starred Restaurants Have Closed in the UK in 2026?
Several restaurants carrying Michelin stars in the 2026 Guide have closed during the year.
These businesses did not all close for exactly the same reason. Some were affected by ownership or chef changes, while others directly cited financial pressures. That distinction matters when discussing the wider Michelin-starred restaurant closure UK trend.
Why Did Somssi by Jihun Kim Close So Soon After Winning a Michelin Star?
One of the most striking developments of 2026 involved Somssi by Jihun Kim at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair.
Michelin awarded Somssi a One Star during its February 2026 ceremony, recognising chef Jihun Kim’s Korean cooking with French influences. It was one of 20 new One-Star restaurants announced for the year.
Yet the restaurant closed only around five weeks later.
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair confirmed Somssi’s closure in March following Kim’s departure from the hotel. The restaurant had operated for only around six months under the Somssi name before receiving its 2026 star.
This example demonstrates an important point about Michelin recognition: receiving a star does not provide immunity from operational change.
A restaurant can achieve some of the highest culinary recognition available and still close shortly afterwards because the commercial circumstances, ownership structure or people behind the concept change.
Why Did Michelin-Starred Simpsons in Birmingham Close?
The closure of Simpsons in Birmingham was particularly significant because of the restaurant’s history.
Chef and restaurateur Andreas Antona opened Simpsons in Kenilworth in 1993 before moving it to Edgbaston in 2004. The restaurant earned its Michelin star in 1999 and maintained Michelin-starred status for more than two decades.
On 28 May 2026, Antona confirmed the closure after three attempts to sell the restaurant failed.
He described the economic environment for restaurants as exceptionally difficult and explained that personal financial support, staff commitment and customer loyalty had helped keep Simpsons operating before the eventual closure.
Simpsons matters to this story because it was not a short-lived restaurant trying to establish itself. It was a highly recognised institution with decades of history.
Its sister restaurant, The Cross at Kenilworth, remained open.
Why Did Michelin-Starred Sorrel Close?
Another major closure followed in Surrey.
Sorrel in Dorking, founded by chef Steve Drake in 2017, received its Michelin star in 2019. In May 2026, the restaurant was placed on the market with an asking price of £195,000 while chef-patron Alex Payne and the existing brigade continued operating it.
That hoped-for solution did not materialise.
Sorrel closed with immediate effect on 28 July 2026 after experiencing financial difficulties. Drake explained that the restaurant was no longer breaking even and that accumulated losses had become impossible to sustain.
His account also provides one of the clearest insights into why some independent fine-dining restaurants are struggling.
A restaurant may appear busy, charge premium menu prices and hold a Michelin star while still facing a very different financial picture behind the scenes.
Labour, tax, ingredients, property costs and specialist staffing all have to be paid before a restaurant generates profit.
What Happened to Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall?
Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, near Norwich, became another Michelin-starred closure during August.
The tasting-menu restaurant opened in 2023 and received its first Michelin star in the 2025 Guide, retaining the distinction in 2026.
Chef-patron Mark Poynton stepped down in early August following changes surrounding the ownership of Caistor Hall. The restaurant subsequently announced that it would close rather than continue without him.
Its final service took place on 22 August 2026.
This closure was therefore different from Sorrel or Simpsons. It demonstrates why every restaurant closure should be considered individually rather than attributing the entire trend to one economic factor.
What Happened to The Mount by Glynn Purnell?
The original version of this article focused heavily on The Mount by Glynn Purnell.
That section now requires an important update.
The Michelin Guide-listed pub in Henley-in-Arden completed its final service on 15 March 2026 after four years of trading.
Its owners cited rising operating costs, food prices, energy bills and wider overheads, concluding that the business had become financially unviable.
There is also an important distinction to make: The Mount itself was Michelin Guide-listed rather than Michelin-starred.
Purnell’s earlier Birmingham restaurant, Purnell’s, did hold a Michelin star. It closed in October 2024 after 17 years of trading, correcting the earlier version of this article which described the run as 15 years.
Purnell has continued with other hospitality projects, including Trillium and Plates by Purnell’s in Birmingham and his involvement with the Wood Norton in Evesham.
What Is the Latest Michelin Guide Restaurant Closure in September 2026?
The pressure has continued into September.
On 23 September 2026, Michelin-listed Manchester restaurant Another Hand announced its immediate closure after five years.
The 24-seat Deansgate restaurant was included in the Michelin Guide, although it did not hold a Michelin star. Its team cited the increasingly difficult economic conditions facing hospitality when announcing the decision.
This distinction is important for accurate reporting.
A restaurant can be:
- Michelin-starred
- Michelin Bib Gourmand
- Michelin Green Star
- Michelin-selected or Michelin-listed without a star
These descriptions should not be used interchangeably.
Why Has The Crown at Burchetts Green Closed?
Another very recent example involves The Crown at Burchetts Green in Berkshire.
Chef Dominic Chapman closed the restaurant in September after operating it since 2022. Chapman said its small scale meant the financial numbers were no longer working.
The Crown had previously received a Michelin star in 2016 under Simon Bonwick and was returned to the Michelin Guide in 2023 under Chapman’s ownership, but it was not a Michelin-starred restaurant at the point of its 2026 closure.
Chapman himself previously led the Royal Oak Paley Street when that restaurant received a Michelin star. He is now concentrating on the larger Jack O’Newbury restaurant with rooms in Binfield.
Again, this shows why headlines about a “Michelin-starred chef restaurant closure” need context: Michelin awards Stars to restaurants, not permanently to individual chefs.
Does a Michelin Star Belong to the Chef or Restaurant?
Technically, Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants rather than chefs.
Michelin says its inspectors judge restaurants using five main criteria: ingredient quality, harmony of flavours, technical skill, the personality expressed through the cuisine and consistency over time.
If a head chef leaves, a restaurant does not automatically lose its star. Inspectors can revisit the establishment and assess whether the required standard continues under the new kitchen leadership.
This is why phrases such as “Michelin-starred chef” are commonly used in everyday reporting but can sometimes create confusion when discussing closures.
A chef who previously ran a starred restaurant does not automatically bring that star to a new business.
Why Are Fine-Dining Restaurants Particularly Expensive to Operate?
High-end restaurants often operate with a cost structure that differs substantially from a larger casual-dining business.
A tasting-menu restaurant might serve far fewer customers each evening while requiring a large number of skilled employees to prepare and deliver each service.
Premium seafood, meat, specialist produce, wine, tableware, kitchen equipment and lengthy preparation processes can add additional costs.
That means a restaurant charging £100 or £200 per person is not necessarily generating unusually high profit.
The economic pressure therefore comes from the combination of costs rather than any one expense.
How Have Wage and National Insurance Costs Changed in 2026?
Labour is particularly important for restaurants because hospitality remains highly dependent on people.
From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 an hour, up 4.1% from the previous rate.
For the 2026/27 tax year, the standard employer National Insurance contribution rate is 15%, with the general secondary threshold at £5,000 a year, subject to the specific rules and exemptions applying to different categories of workers.
Higher pay is important for employees, particularly in a sector where retaining skilled chefs and experienced front-of-house workers can be difficult.
For employers, however, higher wages and employment taxes have to be absorbed through increased prices, improved productivity, lower costs elsewhere or reduced margins.
Fine-dining restaurants can find that calculation particularly difficult because reducing staffing too aggressively may directly affect the experience they are trying to provide.
Is VAT Still 20% for UK Restaurants?
For most restaurant catering, the standard VAT rate remains 20%.
There was a temporary reduction during summer 2026 for qualifying children’s meals, with the rate falling from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September 2026.
That temporary measure has now ended.
Hospitality businesses and industry representatives have repeatedly debated whether a broader reduced VAT rate would improve viability, but there is currently no permanent reduced hospitality VAT rate applying generally to restaurant meals.
What Government Support Is Available to Hospitality Businesses in 2026?
The position has changed since the original version of this article.
From April 2026, England introduced permanently lower business-rates multipliers for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000.
For 2026/27, the small-business RHL multiplier is 38.2p, while the standard RHL multiplier for eligible properties with rateable values between £51,000 and £499,999 is 43p.
There is also additional business-rates relief for qualifying pubs and live-music venues.
More recently, on 2 September 2026, the government launched a £10 million Hospitality Grant Scheme running over three years. It is designed to support projects involving independent pubs, restaurants and cafés, including new ventures, bringing vacant premises back into use and hospitality training initiatives.
These measures provide support, but they do not mean every restaurant will become financially viable. Each business faces a different combination of rent, rateable value, staffing, debt, menu pricing, customer demand and supplier costs.
Does a Michelin Star Guarantee Restaurant Success?
No.
A Michelin star can deliver considerable prestige. It can attract international diners, media attention and customers specifically looking for exceptional food.
But Michelin does not assess a restaurant’s profitability when deciding whether its food deserves a star.
The 2026 closures demonstrate this clearly.
Somssi closed only weeks after receiving a new Michelin star. Simpsons had maintained a star since 1999. Sorrel had held one since 2019. Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall had achieved its star relatively recently.
Different histories, different locations and different circumstances produced the same outcome: closure.
Culinary success and commercial success are related, but they are not the same thing.
Is UK Fine Dining Really in Crisis?
There is genuine pressure, but the evidence does not support saying that Michelin-level dining is disappearing from Britain.
Michelin launched its Great Britain & Ireland 2026 selection with 1,210 recommended restaurants and 230 starred establishments. Twenty restaurants received a new One Star and two received new Two-Star awards.
The Guide has also continued to expand its recommendations during the year. Its September update added 22 restaurants, including new London and regional entries.
So two developments are occurring at the same time.
Established restaurants are closing because of financial, ownership or operational pressures, while new businesses continue opening and receiving recognition.
A better description may therefore be restructuring rather than disappearance.
What Are Restaurants Changing to Survive?
One noticeable direction is the move towards smaller, more flexible formats.
Restaurants can reduce the number of seats, simplify service, shorten menus or operate fewer days in order to concentrate demand and control labour costs.
SO|LA provides an interesting example. Its Michelin-starred Soho site closed in June 2026, but this was not the end of the business. Chef Victor Garvey relocated the concept to Notting Hill, reducing it from 26 seats to a more intimate 12-seat restaurant.
That is a relocation and restructuring story rather than a straightforward restaurant failure.
It illustrates why simply counting closed Michelin listings can give a distorted impression. Some establishments disappear permanently, while others move, change ownership or reinvent their format.
What Do These Closures Mean for Diners?
For diners, the biggest lesson is that restaurant reputation does not guarantee permanence.
A long-established Michelin-starred restaurant can disappear, while a newly awarded restaurant may close only weeks after receiving recognition.
Customers with gift vouchers or future bookings can also be affected when closures happen quickly, particularly when financial difficulties are involved.
At the same time, diners still have a substantial and changing range of Michelin-recognised restaurants across Britain and Ireland.
The closures of 2026 therefore represent significant losses to individual cities and local dining scenes, but not the end of ambitious UK cooking.
Conclusion
The Michelin-starred restaurant closure UK story has moved far beyond the original February announcement concerning Glynn Purnell’s The Mount.
Since then, Somssi by Jihun Kim, Simpsons, Sorrel and Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall have all closed after appearing among the Michelin-starred restaurants in the 2026 Guide.
The circumstances have varied.
Somssi closed following its chef’s departure. Simpsons shut after unsuccessful attempts to sell the long-established restaurant. Sorrel reached the point where its finances could no longer support continued trading. Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall closed following ownership changes and the departure of its chef-patron.
Meanwhile, Michelin-listed venues including The Crown at Burchetts Green and Another Hand have added to the wider picture of pressure across independent hospitality.
Higher wages, employer costs, VAT, property costs, ingredients and changing customer spending all form part of that environment.
Yet Michelin continues to recognise new restaurants, and operators continue to launch new concepts.
For UK fine dining, 2026 increasingly looks less like the end of an era and more like a difficult period of closure, consolidation and reinvention.
FAQs About Michelin-Starred Restaurant Closures in the UK
Which Michelin-starred UK Restaurants Have Closed in 2026?
Notable restaurants appearing with One Michelin Star in the 2026 Guide that have since closed include Somssi by Jihun Kim in London, Simpsons in Birmingham, Sorrel in Dorking and Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall near Norwich.
Did the Mount by Glynn Purnell Have a Michelin Star?
No. The Mount was listed in the Michelin Guide, but it did not hold a Michelin star. Glynn Purnell’s previous Birmingham restaurant, Purnell’s, was Michelin-starred.
When Did the Mount by Glynn Purnell Close?
The Mount served its final guests on 15 March 2026 after its owners concluded that rising costs had made the business financially unviable.
Why Did Simpsons Close?
Owner Andreas Antona confirmed Simpsons’ closure in May 2026 after three attempted sales failed. He also highlighted the difficult economic environment facing restaurant businesses.
Why Did Sorrel in Dorking Close?
Sorrel closed on 28 July 2026 after experiencing continuing financial losses. The restaurant had previously been put up for sale in an attempt to secure its future.
How Quickly Did Somssi Close After Winning a Michelin Star?
Somssi by Jihun Kim closed around five weeks after receiving a Michelin star in February 2026.
Did Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall Lose Its Michelin Star Before Closing?
No. It was included among Michelin’s One-Star restaurants for 2026. The restaurant subsequently closed in August after chef-patron Mark Poynton left the business.
Are Michelin Stars Awarded to Chefs?
No. Michelin states that Stars are awarded to restaurants rather than individual chefs. A chef moving to another restaurant does not take the Star with them.
Is Another Hand in Manchester Michelin-starred?
No. Another Hand was Michelin-listed, but it did not hold a Michelin star. The restaurant announced its immediate closure on 23 September 2026.
Is the UK Losing All of Its Michelin-starred Restaurants?
No. Although several high-profile restaurants have closed, Michelin’s 2026 Guide launched with 230 starred restaurants across Great Britain and Ireland and included numerous new awards. New restaurants also continue to enter the Michelin selection.
