AN award winning chef has been forced "with regret" to close his harbourside restaurant permanently after shutting up over the winter.
In a statement posted on its website, The Harbourside Refuge in Porthleven, run by top chef Michael Caines, announced it was closed from August 1.
The restaurant, formerly the site of the Rick Stein restaurant, had been closed by Mr Caines over the winter for the 'forseeable future" due to soaring fuel and cost increases.
However that closure has now been made permanent with the restaurant put on the market. Mr Caines still runs The Cove near Falmouth.
In the statement posted on the website and on the restaurant door the company said it was closed due to the economic climate and the "on-going challenges" that are facing the hospitality industry.
"It is with regret that the Harbourside Refuge will be permanently closed from the 1st August 2023 and is on the market for sale," said the statement.
"Due to the economic climate and the on-going challenges that are facing the hospitality industry as a whole it has been a difficult decision and with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to close.
"Our sister property The Cove Restaurant & Bar in Maenporth, Falmouth will continue to operate."
It added: "Thank you to all of our customers, suppliers and the community of Porthleven, we have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the quaint and historic Harbourside.
"Our decision to close has not been taken lightly however we sincerely hope to see you again soon at one of the Michael Caines restaurants."
Michael Caines opened the harbourside restaurant in July 2020 after taking over the site of the former Rick Stein Porthleven restaurant.
The site overlooking the harbour was acquired in the Michael Caines Collection which includes The Cove at Maenporth Beach, Falmouth.
In a statement on October 25 last year, Michael Caines said: "My team and I found real joy and pride in running the Harbourside Refuge for the past two years, even under the most challenging conditions.
"We have had to deal with a rollercoaster of events from after-effects of Brexit to Covid and now the cost of living crisis - challenges that I know many others are facing too, both locally and nationally.
"We have tried immensely hard to deal with these challenges, but I'm sorry to say that we have not be able to fully recover from the ongoing impact in regards to both supply and staff shortages, allied now with the soaring fuel and cost increases."
At the time he said that they hoped that in closing for the winter months, the Harbourside Refuge would be able to weather the economic storm and that this was not a final goodbye but just a ‘see you soon’! But it was not to be.
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The restaurant has been put on the market with Rightmove for £250,000.
Many members of the team moved to the restaurant's sister establishment The Cove in Maenporth near Falmouth.
Michael Caines MBE, is one of Britain’s most popular and well-known chefs and the holder of three Michelin stars.
He has appeared regularly on television, on programmes such as BBC 1 Saturday Kitchen, Master chef, Sunday Brunch, The Great British Menu, My Kitchen Rules, and The Great British Bake-off Extra Slice. He received an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry, and was awarded AA Chef’s Chef of the Year in 2007.
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