Top Whitby restaurant blames council 'greed' for closure
Michelin-listed Star Inn the Harbour is closing down in November, blaming Scarborough Borough Council
The owner of a Michelin-listed restaurant in Whitby has accused Scarborough Borough Council of "greed", and said that has led to its closure.
Restauranteur Andrew Pern claims ""We could hide behind the effects of the Covid pandemic, which have affected the hospitality industry as a whole across the UK over the past few years."
"But the sad truth is that the single main reason we are closing is the almost utter lack of support we have received from Scarborough Borough Council during Covid - just two months' Covid business support."
Mr. Pern also claimed they took rent during lockdown when they "didn't have a penny coming in", calling the decision "greedy and shortsighted".
The Star Inn the Harbour, which opened in June, 2017, is part of the Star Group of Restaurants, which includes the Michelin star-listed The Star at Harome, The Star Inn the City and The Winter Hütte, York.
It's due to shut its doors on the 12th November.
In a statement, Scarborough Borough Council said: "We are sad to hear about the decision to close the Star Inn the Harbour in Whitby but to blame it on us is unfair.
“We have been working closely with the restaurant for several months to ensure it can continue to trade during difficult times.
“At the restaurant’s request we renegotiated the terms of its tenancy. Those terms were agreed in good faith but the restaurant recently walked away.
“Our local support for the restaurant has been in addition to the national help it was eligible for such as Covid grants and the government furlough scheme.
“As the custodian of public money, there will always be a limit to the help we can provide to individual businesses."