Brett Graham, the chef and owner of the 2 Michelin-starred The Ledbury in London, is not considering opening the restaurant for the safety of employees and customers for now.

Brett Graham, Chef Executive of the 2 Michelin-starred The Ledbury, which will remain closed indefinitely, said even the 1-metre social distance rule would not keep staff and customers safe. He added that he had had no confidence that The Ledbury’s customer base would be able to revisit soon. Graham said: “We can’t operate the restaurant with any form of social distancing — even if it was a one-metre. The economy is smashed; there are no customers in hotels, no international flights. The [existing] business model is not viable.” Graham stressed that there were no underlying business reasons for the decision and that all suppliers, including the landlord, had been paid in full. “I’m gutted. It’s been 15 years. There are no winners in any scenario. I just don’t want to put anyone at risk,” he said.