Celebrity chef Nick Nairn pulls out of Aberdeen
● Restaurant closure follows winding up of Cook School
Nick Nairn, one of Scotland’s most acclaimed chefs, has closed his Aberdeen pizza restaurant with immediate effect, insisting it was “simply not viable” after the slump in the oil and gas industry.
Nick’s Pizza Bar, which opened in December 2016, has now been placed into voluntary liquidation.
It marks the latest high-profile closure of the celebrity chef’s ventures in the North east of Scotland.
In April, it was announced that Nairn’s Cook School, also based in Aberdeen, was closing, again as a result of the downturn in the regional economy. It eventually closed its doors for good at the end of June.
The closure of the pizza bar means Nairn – who found fame on the popular BBC programme Ready Steady Cook – no longer has a presence in the city.
When Nairn shut his Cook School business a month ago, he had hoped to expand the pizza bar, as both enterprises were based in the same city centre building at Back Wynd, formerly St Nicholas Kirk’s old church hall.
However, he said despite recent investment in marketing the pizza restaurant and extending its opening hours, he had decided it was no longer viable as a standalone business. Five full time members of staff are affected – with Nairn breaking the news in person to them yesterday morning.
Nairn, who became Scotland’s youngest chef to win a Michelin star in 1991, said he had taken the decision to close the restaurant “with regret” despite its “popularity and critical acclaim.”
In a statement posted on the restaurant’s website, he said: “I had always wanted to expand into Aberdeen and the business had years of success with a loyal customer base. However, the downturn in the oil and gas industry hit the economy in the north east leaving people with less money to spend on eating out.
“It’s with regret that I’ve had to make the decision to close my business in Aberdeen where I have enjoyed having a presence.”
He added: “I’d like to thank everyone who has worked with us in Aberdeen, and all our customers and suppliers with whom we have had an excellent relationship.”
Johnston Carmichael and Morison’s Solicitors are managing the voluntary liquidation process.
The closure of the Cook School and pizza bar comes after the chef was assaulted outside the premises last December.
The restaurant is one of several to have closed in Aberdeen in recent years due to the difficult economic conditions in the city.
Some of Nairn’s customers in Aberdeen expressed sympathy with his decision yesterday.
0 Nick Nairn says Nick’s Pizza Bar is no longer viable
Writing on Twitter, @Dizzydizzydog wrote: “Sorry to hear about the closure of your pizza place in Aberdeen, it was by far the best pizza in town, the public in Aberdeen should be supporting independents more in the current climate, not visiting the usual chains.”
However, others questioned the move. Another Twitter user, @richyhenderson1, described it as a “bit of a slap to the face,” while @Markstirton wrote: “We can still afford pizzas.”
Nairn will continue to operate his Cook School in Port of Menteith. He also runs the Kailyardrestaurantatthedoubletree Dunblane Hydro.