Oliver Rowe closes Konstam at The Prince Albert

Oliver Rowe has closed his restaurant Konstam at The Prince Albert, blaming the ‘unsettled economic climate’.​

Rowe first opened Konstam in April 2006, focusing on a locally sourced menu using ingredients found within in the M25.

However, despite receiving positive reviews from numerous critics, Rowe has taken the decision to close Konstam.

He said: “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.

“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.”

Rowe will now look to concentrate on his new book, and develop ‘new projects’.

“Despite the closure, I remain extremely positive about the future and look forward to fresh challenges and fresh ideas,” he added.

Local sourcing​

Konstam at the Prince Albert was the focus of BBC2’s ten-part series The Urban Chef, which followed Rowe as he set up the restaurant and searched to use only food from within Greater London.

Rowe said: "The thing that 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. It was only because of their skill and their passion that we were ever able to produce such lovely plates of food."