Top chef who appeared on MasterChef suddenly closes former Michelin restaurant – just a year after it lost its star
He will continue to operate his remaining restaurant
SHUTTERS DOWN Top chef who appeared on MasterChef suddenly closes former Michelin restaurant – just a year after it lost its star
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A former MasterChef star has had to close his once Michelin-starred restaurant with immediate effect just a year after it lost its accolade.
Peter Sanchez-Iglesias broke the news that his Spanish restaurant, Paco Tapas, in Bristol has now closed its doors for good.
2
Peter Sanchez-Iglesias appeared on the 2023 series of MasterChef
Credit: BBC
2
Paco Tapas was located in Redcliffe, Bristol
Credit: Tripadvisor
The former MasterChef star opened Paco Tapas in 2016 as a more casual pizza joint and cavernous tapas bar to his family's other Michelin restaurant, Casamia.
It was named after Peter's father who helped him design the menu, and was a nod to his heritage by specialising in tapas and sherries.
A statement from the Paco Tapas team, including Peter, Paco and mother Sue, said: 'It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Paco Tapas is closing with immediate effect.
'This decision has not come easily, and it marks the end of a chapter filled with incredible memories, dedicated teamwork, and the joy of sharing our passion for Spanish food and hospitality with all of you.
'Though this is goodbye for now, the spirit of Paco lives on in every memory made around our tables.
"We are deeply grateful for every one of you who has walked through our doors."
Paco Tapas was a restaurant idea formed by Peter with his late brother Jonray who he lost to skin cancer in 2015.
It gained a Michelin star within a year of opening over seven years ago.
Peter appeared in the 2023 series of amateur MasterChef as he guided contestants through a cooking challenge.
He also owns the Spanish-Mexican restaurant Decimo in London's King's Cross.
Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down
The city of Bristol has now been left with just one Michelin-starred restaurant.
Closure of Paco Tapas also means Peter no longer has a presence in the city where he made his name, as Casa and the family's other Pi Shop pizza restaurant also closed.
What is happening in the hospitality industry?
Food and drink chains in general have been suffering as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, including The Browns Bar and Brassierie which closed one of its 26 venues across the country earlier this month, as well as popular French style chain Bistrot Pierre which closed eight of its 18 sites.
A number of other celebrity chef and Michelin-star holders have faced a tough year of restaurant closures.
Their sites include those fronted by celebrity cook Gordon Ramsay, and renowned French chef Anne-Sophie Pic.
Trade challenges for restaurants have been linked to cost pressures and declining consumer confidence.
Experts predict some 6,000 restaurants could close down this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin's secret daughter, 22, ‘working in anti-war art galleries in Paris' after ‘ditching tyrant's name'
She vanished from Russian social media shortly before the start of the war TAKE VLAD Putin's secret daughter, 22, 'working in anti-war art galleries in Paris' after 'ditching tyrant's name' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin's alleged secret daughter is reportedly working at two Parisian art galleries that showcase anti-Kremlin and anti-war exhibitions. Elizaveta Krivonogikh, 22 – also known as Luiza Rozova and now Elizaveta Rudnova – is said to be rubbing shoulders with Russian dissidents and Ukrainian artists in the French capital. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Elizaveta Krivonogikh, also known as Elizaveta Rudnova, is said to be Vladimir Putin's secret daughter Credit: East2West 6 The 22-year-old is reportedly working at two art galleries in Paris Credit: Social media 6 She is said to be Putin's offspring with his former long-term lover Svetlana Krivonogikh Credit: Elizaveta Krivonogikh 6 One of the galleries is said to be Espace Albatros in the neighbourhood of Montreuil Credit: Google Maps Reports say she is working at L Galerie in Belleville and Espace Albatros in Montreuil, despite being the daughter of a regime responsible for the war they oppose. She also reportedly dropped the Putin-linked name and adopted one tied to Oleg Rudnov, a late Vlad ally - in an apparent attempt to mask her ties to the Kremlin tyrant. Her role as gallery manager includes helping organise shows and make videos, according to outlet Meduza. But it has seemed to spark fury among exiled Russians and Ukrainians. Artist Nastya Rodionova, who fled Russia in 2022, said she couldn't stay silent. In a Facebook post, she wrote: 'It's important to say that I believe in the presumption of innocence and that children are not responsible for the crimes of their parents. 'But with the war reaching its heights it is inadmissible to allow a person who comes from a family of beneficiaries of [Putin's] regime to come into confrontation with the victims of that regime. 'We need to know who we are working with and decide whether we are ready for that. My personal answer in this case is no.' Gallery director Dmitry Dolinsky, meanwhile, defended Rudnova's role. Putin warns Trump he 'will have to respond' to Ukraine's daring drone attack in hour-long phone call with president 'She looks like Putin but so do 100,000 other people. I haven't seen a DNA test.' Some insiders back her, calling her a 'cultured person' and 'excellent worker'. But Rodionova hit back, warning that victims of the war shouldn't be forced to share space with anyone tied to the regime – alleged daughter or not. Rudnova's mother, Svetlana Krivonogikh, was sanctioned by the UK in 2023 and linked to Putin's inner circle by independent Russian media. She reportedly owns property worth $100million and was outed as Putin's former mistress by the Proekt investigative team. Elizaveta vanished from Russian social media shortly before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She once flaunted a lavish lifestyle on Instagram, posting photos in designer clothes, sipping champagne, and DJing under the name Luiza Rozova. Ukrainian TV later claimed she was living in Paris with a passport under the name Rudnova, allegedly ditching the patronymic Vladimirovna, which would confirm her father's name as Vladimir. 6 Elizaveta would often flaunt her wealth with social media posts Credit: East2West 6 She also allegedly ditched her tyrant dad's surname Credit: East2West Born in March 2003, Elizaveta has never publicly confirmed a link to the Russian tyrant. The Kremlin has never confirmed her existence either. But the timing of her birth, her resemblance to Putin, and her mother's major financial rise have fuelled years of speculation. Kremlin critics say she is part of the hidden empire Putin has built for his inner circle and family. Officially, Putin only acknowledges two daughters, Maria and Katerina, from his marriage to Lyudmila Putina, whom he divorced in 2014. But it's long been rumoured he has more children — including two sons with former gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Chilling Clown Motel with thousands of creepy clown dolls and cemetery next door
Welcome to the Clown Motel - 'America's scariest motel' and home to a 5,000-strong clown collection. Just make sure you're prepared for purported 7ft uninvited guests in the middle of the night Anyone looking for a good night's rest while travelling in Nevada may do well to avoid the Clown Motel. Although certainly memorable, anyone who has ever sat through a screening of Stephen King's It will likely sleep with one eye open should they ever find themselves bunking down in one of the motel's 31 unique rooms. Located in the former mining town of Tonopah, approximately three hours outside of Las Vegas, this 'world-famous' landmark is positively filled to the brim with clown figurines - 5,000 to be exact. Oh, and to make visitors' stays all the more disquieting, the Clown Motel is situated slap bang in front of Tonopah Cemetery, a supposed ghostly hot spot swathed in local myth and mystery. Those with a mortal fear of clowns might do well to put their foot firmly on the pedal and drive on by, but for braver souls, a truly one-of-a-kind travelling experience awaits... Indeed, as per the official website, the Clown Motel is "the first choice for Ghost Hunters, Paranormal Investigators, Spooky Fun lovers, YouTubers, Horror Filmmakers, Clown Lovers, and more". The motel first opened its doors way back in 1985 with a collection of 'just' 150 clowns. Leona and Leroy David built the property in memory of their clown-loving father, who is buried in the adjacent Tonopah Cemetery, and decided to use his impressive collection as a theme. Since then, things have continued to grow and evolve. The establishment prides itself on being 'America's scariest motel', as evidenced in the range of creatively named spooky rooms. Drawing from horror movie history, guests - whether they're there to commune with the dead or simply bed down for the night - can choose to stay in The Exorcist room, the Chucky room, or the Halloween room -all decked out, of course, with plenty of eerie artwork. Whether you'll be left laughing or screaming by the time the night's through remains to be seen. However, Tripadvisor reviews left by previous patrons offer some idea of what's in store. One happy customer wrote: "We had good fun, and even better, we weren't murdered. Not even a little bit murdered. The guy at the front desk is excellent. Truly excellent. We'd certainly come back someday. Did I mention that no clowns murdered us? They didn't even try. #HadFun #NotMurdered." Another enthused: "We stayed in the IT room and had a blast! They offered an EMF reader, and we had fun looking for spirits in the old graveyard. This was a fun experience and we will remember it for a long time to come!" Now, any bumps in the night will likely be due to nerves rather than any red-nosed terrors lurking under your bed. However, there are those who are convinced that something otherworldly stalks its candy-striped corridors. According to the Las Vegas Ghost Tours website, those who've slept in room 108, which features a life-size mural of Pennywise, have reported inexplicable encounters, while a mischievous spirit referred to as 'The Trickster' is believed to move belongings around, and may even make them vanish completely. As well as disembodied voices and disquieting scratching sounds, some guests swear to having woken to the sight of a 7-foot-tall clown standing ominously at the foot of their bed, while others claim to have answered knocks on their door, only to find there's nobody on the other side.
The Courier
3 hours ago
- The Courier
All you need to know about Alyth and District Agricultural Show
The summer agricultural event season is in full swing and thousands of people are expected to descend on a field in Perthshire for one of the next bumper instalments. Alyth and District Agricultural Show is on at Bogles Field, Essendy Road, Blairgowrie, next Saturday (June 14) from 8.30am-6.30pm. Visitors will find cattle, sheep, horses, donkeys, vintage tractors, trade and food/drink stands, children's activities, Highland dancing, a dog show and a pipe band in full flow. Alyth Show started in the 1940s, later becoming Alyth and District Agricultural Show. It grew steadily over the years and in the late 80s was deemed to be too large for its site at Diamond Jubilee Park, Alyth . So, it moved to a local field in 1990 and was then rotated between different farms. The annual event has been held at Bogles Field, Blairgowire, most years since 2013. This year's show president, Peter Mitchell, told us about a new addition to the roster. He said: 'We are delighted to be hosting a display of around 15 Caterpillars (agricultural machinery) at this year's show to celebrate 100 years of Caterpillar. 'Some of the models will be competing in our vintage section and parade. 'But many will be on display to provide an amazing showcase of these magnificent machines in their centenary year.' Pooches can be entered into the 2pm 'companion' dog show, including pedigree and novelty classes, any time up until 1pm. Peter added: 'We also take on-the-day entries for our horse sections. 'And in our unaffiliated show jumping classes, we have five classes catering for all ages and abilities, with entries taken on the day also.' Show secretary Gail Robertson said there were already 45 entries in the cattle classes, 160 for sheep categories, 80 in the horse, pony and donkey sections and 55 for vintage tractors, implements and engines. Schedules and entry forms can be found online at Bogles Field, Essendy Road, Blairgowrie. Adults £10, OAP & over 12s £5, Under 12s get in free. Tickets can be bought at the gate. Yes and it's free
