Tom Kerridge to close Butcher's Tap in Chelsea

The Tom Kerridge Group has announced it is going to close The Butcher’s Tap pub in Chelsea.

Following a difficult period for the London site of The Butcher's Tap brand, the pub’s final service will be taking place on Sunday 1 June. Its sister site in Marlow will continue to trade as normal.

In a recent interview with Pub & Bar, which will feature in the June edition of the magazine, Kerridge spoke about the difficulties he was having with the Chelsea pub.

"The problem with it is a huge outlay, a big capex at the beginning, and you have to work out what it needs to be turning over every week or month to start paying some of that back," he said. "And at the minute, it's not hitting those figures. That’s partly the climate, partly the location, maybe the offering isn't quite right. If you talk to anybody in London, it's a very, very difficult space to be working."

Gave it a go

The Tom Kerridge Group team says it has worked hard to make the concept work, but nothing is a given in the challenging climate hospitality businesses now face.

"Increasing costs demand a match in revenue and turnover that has not materialised at the site, providing an opportunity to regroup, rethink and rebuild," it said in a statement. "The group remains confident it can learn from experiences in Chelsea and adapt to create something great.

"Tom and colleagues are hugely appreciative of guests who have created brilliant memories since opening and an incredible team, whose future remains secure within the group in place for what’s next."

Kerridge's lead interview with Pub & Bar will land in the June issue of the magazine.

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