Ground-breaking vegan and vegetarian restaurant Vanilla Black announces closure

Andrew Dargue and Donna Conroy have announced that their ground-breaking vegan and vegetarian restaurant Vanilla Black will not reopen following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pair had founded the restaurant in York in 2004, relocating to London in 2008.

Announcing the restaurant would not open on social media, Dargue said: “Like many hospitality businesses around the world, as a direct effect of Covid-19 we are deeply saddened to announce that we are unable to see a financially viable way to reopen Vanilla Black on its current site, which has traded for 16 years.

"The effects of the last few months have been immensely devastating. We have always put our hearts and souls into Vanilla Black and it is a passion rather than a business so it has been a very difficult decision to make. However, we don’t see this as the end, this is never the way we imagined it. This is not the end of our mission to create innovative vegetarian and vegan cuisine. We will return in the near future with a new and exciting venture.”

The restaurant held two AA rosettes and was listed in the Michelin guide, which reported: “A vegetarian restaurant where real thought has gone into the creation of dishes, which deliver an array of interesting texture and flavour contrasts.”