Chef Charlie Hodson steps back from stove to dedicate more time to mental health advocacy

Chef Charlie Hodson will hang up his pans and step away from the stove after a 35-year career to dedicate more time to mental health advocacy.

Hodson will close his Norfolk restaurant Hodson and Co. No.23 at the end of 2023. He had opened the by appointment only restaurant in 2022 to share his passion for the best of the county’s produce with a single reservation of guests at a time.

The chef said he wanted to “leave the hospitality sector on his own terms at the pinnacle of his career”, adding that Hodson and Co. No.23 is fully booked to the end of the year.

He said: “I’m immensely grateful to our wonderful patrons, staff, and producers who've been part of this journey. To those who travelled from near and far, even in tough economic times, and to the countless individuals we've had the privilege of serving in homes and on staycations in our beloved Norfolk. Cooking for you has been an utter joy. Heartfelt thanks to my dedicated staff, who have been the backbone of Hodson & Co throughout our evolution from deli to the UK's smallest restaurant, your trust and support means the world to me.”

In 2024 Hodson will expand his work in the mental health sector, drawing on his own experiences. The Hospitality Action ambassador said: “The word ‘hospitality’ has the same Latin origin as ‘hospital’, reflecting a shared historical connection to providing welcome and care for visitors, so actually I’m continuing my hospitality journey, albeit with a fresh focus. I’m inspired by George Michael's words ‘listen without prejudice’.

“In a mental health crisis it’s so important to know you will be heard and learn how to seek sources of solace and support, to find your own ‘saving grace’. I know how impossible it feels to make that first step, to be able to say ‘I need help’. But my own journey through mental health struggles has shown me the power of vulnerability. That’s what saves lives.”

Hodson has held two AA rosettes, is a patron of the award-winning Porkstock festival, founder of Charlie’s Norfolk Food Heroes, a Norfolk Food and Drink Champion and patron of the Aylsham Cluster Trust. He was named the Great Sausage Roll Off champion in 2017.