Oliver Rowe closes Konstam at the Prince Albert

Celebrity chef Oliver Rowe has closed his London restaurant Konstam at the Prince Albert, blaming its challenging location and the economic climate.

The Konstam, located near King's Cross, opened in 2006, offering a menu focused on seasonal, local produce, with 80% of the ingredients sourced from within and around Greater London.

Rowe shut the restaurant yesterday (2 August), citing a combination of the recession and a challenging location as the reason for the closure.

"It is extremely sad to be closing the doors of Konstam. I have always embraced the challenges that running a restaurant bring, however, in this unsettled economic climate it was beyond me to keep up with those challenges," Rowe said.

"I am very proud of what we achieved at the restaurant and owe a huge debt of thanks to everyone who worked there with me and helped to make it such a special place. What set Konstam apart was the suppliers - the farmers and growers who provided the restaurant with so much amazing local produce were always the real stars of the show."

Rowe added that he would continue to promote sustainability and local sourcing and would now concentrate on writing a book and developing new projects.

"Despite the closure, I remain extremely positive about the future and look forward to fresh challenges and fresh ideas," he said.

Picture by David Hartley/Rex Features

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By Kerstin Kühn

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