Coronavirus: 'I'm not sure what the future will hold for me now'

Bermondsey restaurant The Loyal Tavern, a joint venture between chef Tom Cenci and Adam White will remain closed as a direct result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The chef, most known for having worked at The Duck and Waffle for six years, took to Instagram to announce the news, explaining that Covid-19 and ongoing fixed costs were to blame for the closure.

He said that the decision had been taken "with a broken heart" and that it was one that he thought he "would never have to take."

The news comes as a string of permanent closures has swept the industry, as businesses' cashflow was abruptly brought to a halt during lockdown.

The chef, who jointly opened the London restaurant with Adam White (co-founder of Riding House Café, Fitzrovia) in September last year, said: "It has been an extremely challenging time for everyone in our industry, and I can only hope things will get better."

He added: "I'm not sure what the future will hold for me now, but I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the team at Loyal Tavern whom all of which I would happily recommend for work and to all the guests who had the chance to dine with us. Thank you for your support."

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.