Ed Sheeran has admitted that his London restaurant Bertie Blossoms has been struggling to survive amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The pop star, 30, who is worth an estimated £220million, told how it’s been ‘very difficult’ to keep his eatery in upmarket Notting Hill open following its launch just two months before the first Covid-19 lockdown hit in March last year.
Ed explained how the restaurant has had a ‘rocky start’ and unless you’re a successful restaurateur like celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, it’s tough to survive.
Business woes Ed Sheeran has admitted that his London restaurant Bertie Blossoms has been struggling to survive amid the coronavirus pandemic
The Shape Of You hitmaker launched the business venture with manager, Stuart Camp, with the West London eatery said to be named after both their wives – Ed’s wife Cherry Seaborn and Stuart’s spouse Liberty Shaw.
But the restaurant has struggled after being forced to close just months after opening due to the pandemic, with Bertie Blossoms evening offering half price white wine on Deliveroo to lure in the punters during lockdown.
Speaking on Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast, Ed said: ‘If you’re looking to make a small fortune in the food industry you should start with a large fortune.
‘It’s one of these things where, unless you’re Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay and you have loads of restaurants, it’s very difficult.
Struggles: The pop star, 30, who is worth an estimated £220million, told how it’s been ‘very difficult’ to keep his eatery in upmarket Notting Hill open following its launch just two months before the first Covid-19 lockdown hit in March last year
‘It’s had a rocky start as it opened two months before the pandemic.’
Ed went on to say the establishment offers ‘really good beers’ and has things he ‘would want in the bar’, with the menu offering a variety of foods including oysters from his hometown of Suffolk, fish and chips and a £24.50 rib eye steak.
The Thinking Out Loud singer added that he enjoys visiting his restaurant when he visits London from his sprawling Suffolk estate, explaining why he opted to move out of the capital.
Tough: Ed explained how the restaurant has had a ‘rocky start’ and unless you’re a successful restaurateur like celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, it’s tough to survive
He said: ‘I love London but when I lived there full-time I felt trapped and didn’t go out a lot. I was thinking people cared more than they did.
‘Now I am living in Suffolk I’ll dip into London for a night and enjoy the experiences. I’m a Suffolk boy and this is where I feel most comfortable.’
‘I can go into a pub and see people and go, “OK”, but in London it’s more full-on. And there are a lot more restaurants to compete with, too.’
Last year, Ed refused to furlough his ten staff at the restaurant, instead paying their wages out of his own pocket.
The star confirmed he would not ask the Treasury to pay up to 80 per cent of the restaurant staff’s salaries, up to a threshold of £2,500 per month.
A spokesperson for Sheeran told The Sun at the time: ‘The business, co-owned by Ed Sheeran and Stuart Camp, is not, and will not, be accessing any Government scheme of any kind, including furloughing, grants, loans and so on.’
Difficulties: ‘It’s one of these things where, unless you’re Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay and you have loads of restaurants, it’s very difficult’
Businessman: The Shape Of You hitmaker launched the business venture with manager, Stuart Camp, with the West London eatery said to be named after both their wives – Ed’s wife Cherry Seaborn (pictured) and Stuart’s spouse Liberty Shaw
Elsewhere, Ed revealed that he was told as a youngster to forget his musical aspirations and get a ‘real job’, telling that kids shouldn’t just be pushed to focus solely on academics.
He told the Sunday Mirror’s Watts the Goss column: ‘I think kids should be encouraged to be creative. When I was a child, saying you wanted to be a musician, they’d go, “You need to get a real job.”
‘School is so stressful. You’ve got all these exams – maths, English and science – all these things are very difficult. But what I want to say to kids is if you do what you love, you will eventually get paid for it.’
He went on to say that he learned more from his career lows than his highs, telling how playing to ‘one person’ in a Swindon bar taught him ‘more’ than playing at Wembley.
Real job: Elsewhere, Ed revealed that he was told as a youngster to forget his musical aspirations and get a ‘real job’, telling that kids shouldn’t just be pushed to focus solely on academics
The superstar also revealed that he doesn’t want his daughter Lyra, who turns one later this month, to follow in his footsteps in the music industry as he wants her to forge her own identity away from him.
He explained: ‘I think it’s from being in the music industry – I’m like, ‘I would not wish this on my child. I would hate for her to be known as my daughter rather than just Lyra, I want her to have own identity.’
Ed remarked that ‘sporty’ Lyra is more likely to follow Hockey player mum Cherry’s direction.
Singer: The superstar also revealed that he doesn’t want his daughter Lyra, who turns one later this month, to follow in his footsteps in the music industry as he wants her to forge her own identity away from him
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9895235/Ed-Sheeran-admits-London-restaurant-struggling-amid-strains-pandemic.html
