Jesse Dunford Wood closes Harvest in Kensal Rise after just one year
In a post on social media the Parlour and Six Portland Road chef described the Kensal Rise restaurant as a “career defining project” but said that it had now closed due to a lack of custom.
Writing on Instagram he said it had been “a complex week” and compared the closure to a break up, describing it as heartbreaking. “Over the last week, as we closed the business, tears were shed, building emptied, staff relocated, people informed,” he said.
“Walking away from something you have invested yourself into [is] pretty painful.”
Dunford Wood took on former Indian restaurant Bawarchi on Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise to open Harvest restaurant in the spring of last year.
“We created a beautiful restaurant - the remodelling of the space, the interiors and details were such a considered effort,” the chef added.
“We cooked wonderful food and incredible drinks - great staff - literally a career defining project for me.
“I have worked towards this over the last 25 years in hospitality.
“We tried really hard to make it work, we were patient, kept the dream alive, stuck to the vision, we did great often, but sadly we were not consistently busy enough.”
Harvest was conceived as an all-day venue that was a hybrid between Dunford Wood’s other two London restaurants, Portland Road and Parlour. Located close to Parlour he said at the time that it would be a similarly approachable offer but was designed to not cannibalise Parlour’s business.
In the post Dunford Wood said that Parlour and Six Portland Road were “in a strong position,” and that “there is still a bright future for us all here”.
Dunford Wood opened Parlour in Kensal Green in 2012, followed by Six Portland Road, which opened in Holland Park in November 2020.
“We will move on to better, greater things I am sure - but let’s take a moment to admire, remember and salut [sic] all that we created,” he said.
“As was said so often by tennis legend Billie Jean King ‘pressure is a privilege’”.
