A popular restaurant in Blackheath run by MasterChef finalists is closing after five years in business.

Copper & Ink first opened its doors in 2018, run by MasterChef 2015 finalist Tony Rodd and partner Becky Cummings.

The head chef is Rob Parks, who was a MasterChef semi-finalist in 2015.

Copper & Ink offered diners an opportunity to try a seasonal menu that changed monthly, using locally sourced produce, giving diners a fine dining experience without, according to owner Tony, “the stiffness of a Central London eatery.”

In five years, the restaurant grew in popularity, winning awards including being named in the Top 100 Restaurants in the Good Food Guide 2023.

But after half a decade in business, Tony and Becky announced Copper & Ink’s “immediate” closure yesterday (January 2).

The decision, Tony and Becky wrote, was a result of the “continued financial difficulties” caused by Covid, increasing energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis.

The decision to close comes after the pair launched a crowdfunding appeal on Kickstarter to launch a new cocktail bar, as a way to adapt the business to customers and their budgets.

The Kickstarter concluded yesterday reaching £42,838, falling £27,162 short of their £70,000 target.

The news of the closure received an influx of responses on social media, with 230 responses on X, formerly known as Twitter, and 221 on Instagram.

 

The restaurant has closed its doors with immediate effect and is currently going through an administration process. 

In a heartfelt statement, the pair wrote that they would “dearly miss” seeing their customers and were “privileged” to be part of the Blackheath community.

In a statement on Copper & Ink’s social media, Tony and Becky wrote: ““It is with heavy hearts that we announce the immediate closure of Copper & Ink.

“We have agonised over making this decision and spent much of the Christmas break trying desperately to find a way to save the restaurant, but to no avail.

“The decision to close is borne out of the continued financial difficulties caused by COVID, increased energy costs, the cost of living crisis and price increases from all our suppliers that we have had to bear the brunt of for the last 3 years.

“All of which we know you have felt too, which has resulted in less guests coming through our doors, making running a business untenable.

“We have had a wonderful 5 years, and we want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts for the warmth, love & support you have bestowed upon us during this time.

“We know there will be many questions and we will attempt to answer as many of them as we possibly can, however, we are also in a period of grief for the loss of the place we have called home for all this time, so we would appreciate some respect for our privacy whilst we process everything and go through the procedure of winding everything up.

“In the meantime, we have put together some FAQs which we hope might go some way to answering the pressing questions some of you may have.

“We have been privileged to be such an integral part of the Blackheath Village community and we will dearly miss seeing all of you on a regular basis.”