‘A heartbreaking decision’: Wirral restaurant closes its doors

Leaf West Kirby in Wirral has closed after five years of trading as a result of “relentless cost pressures”.

The restaurant opened in March 2020, just ten days before the country went into lockdown.

In a message on its website, Leaf West Kirby said: “We have taken the incredibly difficult and heartbreaking decision to close our doors In West Kirby with immediate effect.

“We’ve fought hard since we opened our doors but the time has come to say goodbye as the outlook for our fragile industry looks bleaker than ever.”

The restaurant said it had faced between 40% and 55% increase in wage costs from 2020 to April 2025, as well as huge energy price increases, supply shortages and business rate hikes.

“There is only so much of these costs that can be passed on to the consumer or swallowed by ourselves, until the business becomes unsustainable.

“We are extremely grateful for all the support and friendships we have made and will be sad to say goodbye to our team, regulars, Wirral community and lovely home. We’ve had some of the best times of our careers here and a particular highlight was meeting so many supportive customers at the lockdown food markets,” it added.

The closure comes as Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said it is “harder than ever” to run a hospitality business in the current climate.

Leaf’s three remaining sites continue to operate as usual in Liverpool.

Image: Leaf website/www.thisisleaf.co.uk/west-kirby