Soho's Freak Scene announces permanent closure
Announcing the news on Instagram, Hallsworth said: "Freak Scene in Soho will not be reopening.
"A combination of expensive real estate, greedy landlords and Covid-19 means we’ve now come to the end of chapter two of the Freak Scene story - and what a chapter it was. [Phar Shaweewan] and I are forever grateful to our family, friends, staff and partners who’ve supported us since our pop-up in Farringdon three years ago.
"You're all very close to our hearts and we love you to the max.
"To our beloved guests and followers; you’ve been the best bunch of supporters we could have ever hoped for, so many of you now mates! We’re sorry we won’t be able to down sake bombs with you from our Soho home anymore. We’ve had a ripper time but now we’ve locked the door at Freak Scene in Soho for the very last time."
Hallsworth, an ex-Nobu head chef, launched Freak Scene as a pop-up in Farringdon in July 2017, after cutting ties with Kurobuta; the ‘rock and roll izayaka’ group he founded in London in 2014.
He subsequently opened Freak Scene's first bricks and mortar location in London's Soho in March 2018, taking on the former Barrafina site on Frith Street that was also once home to Adam Simmond’s Test Kitchen.
Hallsworth added in his Instagram post that he had 'some pretty sweet ideas brewing' for the future of his business.
"You’ll be seeing Freak Scene again very soon," he said.
