Chef loses taste and smell due to Covid and award-winning restaurant closes

Chef Mark Sebastian Fisher has announced that Sebastian’s Restaurant – a traditional Oswestry establishment, in the English region of Shropshire – will close by the end of the year.

Founded 33 years ago by Fisher, the award-winning house—which has already won two spots in the British AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence, plus two Michelin forks and five customer review stars on Tripadvisor—is going to get its taste. The service was closed after the chef lost his sense of smell and taste to Covid-19, the Daily Mail reported.

However, the Sebastian’s Hotel, a property that operates on the top floor of the restaurant installed in 17th-century chalets, will also remain open, with an acknowledged breakfast service. Also, according to his website, the house should hold its salon for potential events in the future.

“I have lost all my taste and smell due to Covid-19 and am now dependent on other members of my family and staff. [para degustar] Before we send the food to the salon,” Mark told the newspaper. Michelle, the chef’s wife, currently runs the restaurant next door, but they both decided it was time to finish the job.

“We have been here for 33 years, and I will be 55 next year. Our three children have practically worked here since birth, and they are at a time when everyone is working full time and we want them to be able to go out and create their own lives and their own careers,” he explained. Without the extra help, the job became too heavy for English.

Trained by other award-winning chefs in France and Switzerland, Mark believes this is the perfect time to close because the costs of maintaining an open house have soared in the UK. “I think a lot of other restaurants are going to close.”

However, the chef still hopes to be able to reopen his restaurant in the future. Sebastians’ closing date has been set for the new year and reservations have been sold out by then. There is a waiting list of about 150 people currently.

Until then, the house operated with seasonal menus, which are changed monthly to reflect the variety and quality of seasonal ingredients. In their statement, the couple said they were grateful to have been able to serve “breakfast, lunch and dinner at French cafés, Christmas parties and SeafoodIn addition to having thousands of clients, many of them are loyal.

Although business continues through December 31, the five-course menu will not be served on December 23. However, the couple plans to bid farewell in style with a special eight-course menu for their last day.

Mark and Michele, subsequently, did not announce the “Sebastian Experience” to willing clients. What will be included in this new schedule has yet to be announced.