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La Goccia and The Petersham have closed their doors after six years of trading in Covent Garden.
The sister restaurants, owned by Petersham Nurseries’ Boglione family, served their last dishes on Sunday (February 16), having gone into administration while trying to secure lower rents from landlords Shaftesbury Estates.
Management told the Telegraph that it blames an ‘inability to recruit people with the right experience and skills’ thanks to Brexit, as well as ‘the looming impact of the recent Budget’ and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Lara Boglione, whose parents founded the Petersham brand over 20 years ago, and who now runs uber-successful Petersham Nurseries’ Michelin Green-starred restaurant, told the Standard that the decision to close La Goccia and The Petersham was taken ‘in view of the significant cost challenges they have faced’. Both on Floral Court off Floral Street in Covent Garden, the restaurants were apparently costing a huge £1.2 million per year in rent and service charges.
Jo Milner, from liquidators Buchler Phillips, said: ‘This is clearly disappointing for La Goccia and The Petersham.
‘It’s a very difficult landscape: last year almost 3,500 hospitality businesses became insolvent against a background of tight consumer spending and growing staff costs as a result of the Budget.’
You’ve missed your chance to eat out at either of the Covent Garden outposts, but you can still hop on a train (or even a boat) to Petersham’s original location in Richmond (complete with garden nursery and lifestyle shop), which remains open.
Check out the best restaurants in Richmond and Covent Garden.
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