A York restaurant ceased trading today (Wednesday) and its owners don’t expect it to reopen.
Forage, on Little Stonegate, shut because it was ‘sadly not viable’.
The restaurant closed once before, in August 2023. But it was brought back under new owners Tokyo Industries, which operates 47 venues across the UK, including Impossible Bar in York.
However, the company announced today that Forage was now closed for good.
In a message shared on social media, they said: “We have a bit of an update for you.
“We’re absolutely devastated to announce that Forage has ceased trading as of today and will now remain closed for the foreseeable future.
“Please know this is a decision that has not been taken lightly and that unfortunately in today’s climate, the continuation of the business was sadly not viable.
“We would of course like to thank all of our customers who have visited and supported us over the past year.
“We would also like to make a special mention to all the staff who have dedicated their time, passion, and energy into running such a special restaurant.”
Forage had earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Tripadvisor, having a hard-won reputation for creating contemporary fusion food using locally-sourced ingredients.
The restaurant was also actively eco-conscious. It aimed to minimise kitchen waste by using the normally-discarded parts of produce in inventive ways, such as creating infused spirits.
In April, it launched a series of music and event nights in its new Speakeasy.
One of the last high-profile events held at the venue was the launch of York Pride 2024 in May.
Forage was created by mixologist Callum Houston. When Tokyo Industries took over, they kept the same management team, including head chef Keiran Duffy.
At the time, Forage general manager Alex Hart told YorkMix: “The brand and the product have always been great and we all believe in it so much, hence why we have all stayed.”