HE was the youngest Scottish chef to be awarded a prestigious Michelin star and went on to enjoy a high-flying career of culinary success and TV fame.
But now it appears as though Nick Nairn is experiencing his very own kitchen nightmare after the celebrity cook announced he is calling time on his latest eaterie in Scotland, saying it is no longer commercially viable.
Mr Nairn announced yesterday that Nick’s Pizza Bar, which launched in Aberdeen in December 2016, would close with immediate effect and that liquidators have been called in to wind up the business.
The decision to close the doors of the popular pizza parlour comes just a month after Nairn's Cook School in the city was also shut, and now means that Nairn – who found fame on the popular BBC programme Ready Steady Cook – no longer has a presence in Aberdeen.
- Recipe of the Day: Garlic mushroom and margherita hearty pizza by Nick Nairn
Five permanent staff members and a number of waiting staff have been let go, with Nairn personally breaking the news to them during a visit to the bar yesterday morning.
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn
The closure marks the end of a dismal time in the Granite City for the 58-year-old, who suffered facial injuries when he was attacked in Union Street while walking home during the early hours of the morning last December.
He spoke of his regret at bringing the shutters down on the pizza bar, which was set up in the same listed building as the Cook School in Back Wynd, formerly St Nicholas Kirk’s old church hall.
The decision was blamed on the economic downturn in the city since the collapse of the oil and gas industry, which Mr Nairn said had led to fewer people eating out.
Attempts to save the business by extending its opening hours and increasing marketing and investment failed to have the desired effect, and it was said that the bar was not viable as a standalone operation following the closure of the Cook School.
Mr Nairn explained: "I had always wanted to expand into Aberdeen and the business had years of success with a loyal customer base.
"However, the downturn in the oil and gas industry hit the economy in the north east leaving people with less money to spend on eating out.
“It’s with regret that I’ve had to make the decision to close my business in Aberdeen where I have enjoyed having a presence."
He added: "I’d like to thank everyone who has worked with us in Aberdeen, and all our customers and suppliers with whom we have had an excellent relationship.”
Johnston Carmichael and Morison’s Solicitors have been called in to manage the voluntary liquidation process.
Mr Nairn has been a champion of Scotland's 'natural larder'
A self-taught cook, Nick Nairn was awarded a Michelin star for his restaurant Braeval, near Aberfoyle, when he was 32.
He later want on to front a number of TV series, including Wild Harvest, Wild Harvest 2 and Island Harvest, and represented Scotland in the finals of Great British Menu, winning the opportunity to cook his Scottish venison dish for The Queen’s 80th birthday banquet.
He currently splits his time between his cook school in his home town of Port of Menteith in Stirlingshire, demonstrations and consultancy work.
He devised the menu and lent his name to the Kailyard restaurant in the Dunblane Hydro hotel, and occasionally cooks there.
The chef said his enthusiasm for Aberdeen was undimmed after he was attacked last December.
He suffered a black eye and a cut mouth when he was punched in the face, and was knocked to the ground.
His publicist Julia Forster fended the attackers off with her handbag while members of the public helped make Mr Nairn comfortable. He was treated for his injuries at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Afterwards, he said: "I am sure it has been a painful experience for everybody involved and I am keen to put it behind me. All credit to everybody who helped at the time."
Oil worker Scott Smith, 35, was traced police appealed for witnesses and admitted the assault at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. He was fined £900.
A spokeswoman for Mr Nairn insisted that the decision to close had been made purely on a financial basis.
She said that the pizza bar had been a successful business model, which had come under pressure because of the unique circumstances in Aberdeen.
She said: "Nick will be back after this. We are currently reviewing other opportunities outwith the north east."
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