Cornwall's most famous chef, Rick Stein, has revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic nearly bankrupted his restaurant business. The 74-year-old chef and TV presenter, who runs his empire from Padstow and employed 600 people at the time, said he came close to losing everything.
In March last year, as the UK entered lockdown, Stein found himself making Zoom calls from Australia, where he lives with his second wife Sarah, while the future of his restaurants hung in the balance. He ultimately lost two of his Cornish restaurants in Porthleven and Falmouth, but managed to survive thanks to the Government's furlough scheme and the success of his Stein's At Home food boxes.
Speaking to The Times, Stein said: 'It was very scary and we nearly lost the whole business. And it's certainly not just my work we're talking about - Jill [his ex-wife and business partner] and the children have put so much into it too. Not being there was horrible.'
The Stein's At Home boxes, which provide ingredients and instructions for three-course seafood meals, proved hugely popular. Prices start at around £45 for the Hake Box and rise to £100 for the lobster menu. The business has also been buoyed by the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown, with 30,000 bookings already taken for the summer ahead.
Stein also commented on the ongoing EU trade war over shellfish exports, expressing frustration that British seafood is not appreciated domestically. He said: 'It's so frustrating. If for any reason France or Spain weren't able to export their seafood they'd just eat it all. Here we don't see what we have. It's absurd. British seafood is so bloody lovely and I wish people could see that.'
Looking forward, Stein and his son Charlie are planning to open a new coffee shop in Padstow. Reflecting on the crisis, Stein added: 'It would have broken my heart to lose it all. So yes, I am very grateful to be coming through it.'
