Native closes following extraction system collapse

Peripatetic wild food restaurant Native has closed after less than a year at its latest location, the Netherwood Estate on the Worcestershire-Herefordshire border, following a failure in its extraction system that “broke the camel’s back“.

Chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes (pictured) and his business partner Imogen Davis launched the zero-waste, foraging-based project in 2012, winning widespread acclaim for creative cuisine – including a rave review in the Harden’s guide for ‘wonderful, innovative dishes’ that ‘far exceed expectations’.

Native moved into the former Pensons site on the Netherwood Estate last June, having been acquired by Hestia Hospitality, an investment outfit founded by theatrical impresario Andrew Fishwick.

Ivan announced his resignation from Native in a social media post reading: “From Covent Garden to Borough Market, Osea Island and Mayfair, and finally the abundant Netherwood Estate. A humble street food stall started in 2012, Native has grown into a Michelin awarded brand that’s allowed me to travel the world and cook with some of my heroes. It’s therefore with a heavy heart that I have resigned from my position as Executive Chef at Native under its current guardians Hestia Ltd. I wish Hestia all the best, and can’t wait to follow their next adventures.”

An unnamed spokesman for the restaurant told The Sun newspaper that the closure was triggered by a broken extraction system. “What we hoped was a quick fix turns out to be a deeper problem with our systems and so sadly, cannot be an immediate fix.

“The large cost to repair this equipment is unfortunately the straw that broke the camel’s back and has had a huge detrimental effect on a small business with such tight margins and unfortunately has put us in a position whereby the directors at Hestia Ltd have taken the decision to close the restaurant for the foreseeable future.

“We have cancelled all future reservations via our online booking system and if you have paid a deposit a full refund will have been actioned already, you can expect this back within 7 working days. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused and wish all our customers well for the future.”

This account of the closure was confirmed in a call to the restaurant.

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