‘Continued financial difficulties’ force Tony Rodd to close Copper & Ink

Rodd, a former MasterChef​ finalist, confirmed the decision earlier today (2 January).

A statement on the restaurant’s website​​ reads: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the immediate closure of Copper & Ink.

“We have agonised over making this decision and spent much of the Christmas break trying desperately to find a way to save the restaurant, but to no avail.

“The decision to close is borne out of the continued financial difficulties caused by Covid, increased energy costs, the cost of living crisis and price increases from all our suppliers that we have had to bear the brunt of for the last three years. 

“All of which we know you have felt too, which has resulted in less guests coming through our doors, making running a business untenable.”

Rodd launched Copper & Ink with his partner Becky back in 2018. The restaurant was billed as ‘a modern British restaurant with influences from classic French and Scandinavian cuisine’.

The statement added: “We have had a wonderful five years, and we want to thank each of every one of you from the bottom of our hearts for the warmth, love and support you have bestowed upon us during this time.”

Just last month, Rodd launched a crowdfund on Kickstarter​​ that looked to raise £70,000 to convert the restaurant’s ground floor dining room into a high-end cocktail bar.

The campaign failed to meet its target, however, and as a result no funds were taken.