“Hospitality in Britain has been broken": Sheffield restaurant Juke & Loe to close

Announcing the closure on social media, founders Joseph and Luke Grayson said: “After much deliberation and toil we have made the extremely difficult and painful decision to close Juke & Loe at The Milestone.

“This has been possibly the most difficult decision we have ever had to make since the conception of J&L in 2017. When the idea of J&L was conceived we were both sick of working for the man.

“We wanted a business that served great food in a casual relaxed environment where us and the staff genuinely looked forward to going to work.

“I think we achieved that and a little more.

“The last seven years have been a blast and we don’t regret one minute of it. But sadly the day has come to call it.”

Juke & Loe was founded by brothers Joseph and Luke Grayson on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield in 2017. In November 2022 it relocated to new gastropub premises in Kelham Island.

Its food is described as celebrating traditional British cooking with a modern twist using local ingredients.

The pair say the decision was due to the business in its current model being no longer viable.

“Hospitality in Britain has been broken and we can’t see it getting repaired anytime soon," they add.

“Our business in particular has reached a ceiling and can no longer keep up with the ever increasing costs, food, fuel, utilities, staff wages (which they deserve and more) business rates and the dreaded VAT. The latter being set at a preposterous percentage in an industry that can claim almost zero back.

“Racking our brains we still don’t know how this decimation of our industry began and is allowed to continue.”

The restaurant’s last service will be Saturday 30 March.