'I'm ready for a new chapter': Marcus Wareing to close Marcus at the Berkeley hotel

Marcus Wareing is to close his Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus at the Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge.

In a statement, the chef said he and the hotel had “mutually agreed on a change of direction”.

The restaurant’s final service will be 26 December 2023.

Wareing said: “The Berkeley has provided me with the most extraordinary platform over the last 20 years. As a chef and restaurateur, it’s allowed me and my team to create some incredible and lasting memories.

"However, it’s now time for me to move on. I am not retiring quite yet, though - not at all. I’m ready for a new and exciting chapter to begin. I will update on our plans for 2024 in due course.”

The restaurant space at the Berkeley was previously home to Gordon Ramsay’s Pétrus, which Wareing ran at the hotel as head chef from 2003. When Gordon Ramsay Holdings parted ways with the Berkeley in 2008, Wareing took over the lease and relaunched the restaurant under his own name.

It held two Michelin stars until 2018, when it was dropped to one star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2019.

The guide's description of the restaurant reads: “Dishes read like an inventory of the British larder and feature produce from Marcus’ farm in Kent, along with meats from a sustainable collective in the Lake District. Cooking is refined, sauces are a highlight, and the unctuous desserts are not to be missed.”

Many young talents have passed through the kitchen and in March 2017, Wareing appointed husband-and-wife team Mark and Shauna Froydenlund as joint chef-patrons, telling The Caterer it gave him "immense pleasure" to provide business opportunities for "the most talented people" in his company.

The couple stepped down from the restaurant in January 2022 and the kitchen has since been overseen by head chef Craig Johnston.

The Berkeley’s general manager, Knut Wylde, said: ‘’We want to take this opportunity to thank Marcus and his teams over the years, for everything they have contributed to the Berkeley’s culinary legacy.

"We look forward to seeing what new exciting adventures lie ahead for him and his wife Jane and of course wish them the very best for the future."

The Berkeley will announce its plans for a new restaurant in due course.