Food & Beverage · August 2026

“I think that's probably why I never won three stars because I was not interested in the glory of it. I was only interested in making cash.” — Marcus Wareing, The Go To Food Podcast

Wareing is explaining why he closed his flagship restaurant and why a third Michelin star never came. He puts it down to his own priorities rather than the cooking, describing himself as a businessman before he is a chef. He says the flame had been going out for two years before he shut the room.

The Go To Food Podcast · 2026-08-24 Listen to the episode → More from Marcus Wareing →

Transcript

The Go To Food Podcast Around 30:58 into the episode
Marcus Wareing

I've got. I've got, weirdly enough, I have a most amazing managing agency. And I closed that restaurant down because I was getting further and further away from it. The massive business opportunities outside of restaurants. I'm very close to it. I love watching politics. I'm a businessman.

Ben Benton

I'm

Marcus Wareing

a businessman before I'm a chef, if I'm honest with you. I think I always have been. And I think that's probably why I never won three stars because I was not interested in the glory of it. I was only interested in making cash. And so I, for me, My gut two years before the end was saying I wasn't feeling it. I'd go in the kitchen and I love that team. Craig, the team, front of house. They're amazing people, all work incredibly hard for me and to earn a living for themselves. And I could feel my heart, the flame just getting less and less and less and less and less. And do you know the one thing that I used to stare into that kitchen and I couldn't deal with? It's the silence. The fucking tweezers.

Ben Benton

Yeah.

Marcus Wareing

What is it with chefs and tweezers?

Freddy Clode

I know.

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