The chef said he wanted to ensure a buyer would continue to build on Simpsons’ longstanding success.
Chef and restaurateur Andreas Antona has announced his retirement after 50 years in the hospitality industry.
He has put his restaurant Simpsons in Birmingham, which has held a Michelin star since 1999, up for sale.
Antona said the sale would allow him to spend more time with his family and on other projects close to his heart.
He will continue to oversee the Cross at Kenilworth, which he took over in 2013, and his Soko Patisserie business on a part-time basis.
Commenting on his retirement, Antona said: “Last year, I marked 50 years as a chef and restaurateur, having started out at Ealing College in 1974. I feel lucky to have witnessed the boom and development of our industry into the wonderful profession it is now.
“Following a lot of soul searching, I’ve realised there is never a good time to retire, but when something from within is telling you to reevaluate and enjoy life, family, friends, travel and golf - you need to listen. It is following this realisation that I have decided to sell Simpsons, the restaurant where my life as a chef patron began.”
He added: “Simpsons has a big place in my heart and a sale of this importance will take time. We have a fantastic team in place, and I want to be sure that the buyer shares our passion to continue and build on Simpsons’ longstanding success.”
Antona began his career in Germany and Switzerland, where he trained as a chef.
He returned to the UK in 1980 to work with Anton Mosimann, who was famed for being maître chef des cuisines at the Dorchester hotel in London aged just 28, where he was awarded two Michelin stars.
Antona was later offered the role of sous chef at the Ritz London, where he worked under the late Michael Quinn, the first British head chef at the prestigious Mayfair hotel.
He then left London to work in the Midlands as head chef at the Plough and Harrow in Birmingham.
In 1993, Antona opened his first restaurant, Simpsons in Kenilworth. It later became one of the first restaurants in the area to win a Michelin star and successfully retained the accolade despite its move to Edgbaston in 2004.
In 2013, he said he would take a step back from kitchens and instead focus on his role as a restaurateur. He then took over the Cross, which has held its Michelin star since 2014.
Antona has been heavily involved in training the next generation of chefs throughout his career, including as chairman of the Bocuse d’Or UK Academy, which he founded at the Houses of Parliament in 2017.
He has long aimed to improve Team UK’s performance in the global competition and gave Simpsons’ then head chef Adam Bennett six months paid leave to train for the competition in 2013.
Bennett, who is now chef director at the Cross, remains the UK’s most successful UK candidate to date. The 2025 contest takes place next week with chef Tom Phillips representing the UK
In 2022, Antona was also awarded the Restaurateur of the Year – Independent Catey for Antona Restaurants, having wowed judges with his "pure class, integrity and commitment to the industry".