New Zealand-Samoan chef, and judge of MasterChef UK, Monica Galetti has announced the imminent closure of her London Restaurant Mere. The announcement was made via Galetti's Instagram account.
Mere will close its doors following post-Brexit rules that continue to plague the UK hospitality market. Galetti said that it felt like the right time to announce the closure of the restaurant. Its final service will be on Tuesday, 16th of April.
Mere was first opened by Galetti and her husband in 2017, and was named after her mother. The name Mere has been described in South Pacific and French cuisine as an elegant and contemporary restaurant, offering a relaxed yet refined dining experience.
Earlier in 2024, Mere was mentioned in the Michelin Guide as a 'recommended' establishment, one level below the prestigious accolade of a Michelin star.
The closure has come just as new rules surrounding post-Brexit regulations came into force, which has prevented thousands of European waiters from moving to London in order to work in hospitality. New legislation also raised the minimum salary threshold for a skilled work visa from £26,000 to £38,700, which is beyond the pay for many restaurants which operate within increasingly tight margins.
In January, reports surfaced that indicated an average of 10 restaurant closures per day, supported by industry data that revealed the number of licensed premises in Britain fell by 3.6 percent from 103,682 to 99,916 in the year to September.
Galetti has stood back from her role on MasterChef, finding it difficult to balance running her restaurant and spending time with her family alongside her filming commitments. She said that she had only been able to commit time to the show for three months whilst her team were strong.
Despite a pressing climate for the hospitality industry, neither Galetti, her team, nor the restaurant have cited a specific reason for its closure.
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