Malcolm John closes two of his five London restaurants

Malcolm John has closed two of his five neighbourhood restaurants - Fish & Grill in Putney and Le Cassoulet in South Croydon.

The permanent closure of Fish & Grill Putney comes just 15 months after it opened, while Le Cassoulet closed its doors for good last week, one year on from the riots that tore through many London districts.

The French restaurant's closure comes despite the efforts of the South Croydon Business Association, which earlier this year created the "restaurant quarter" in an effort to encourage diners into the area and boost business, according to www.thisiscroydon.co.uk.

In the immediate aftermath of the riots, like-for-like sales in the area plummeted by up to 90%. This combined with the impact of high rates of VAT and the ongoing recession are believed to be the reason for Le Cassoulet's demise.

A source close to the chef/restaurateur said that John's other three restaurants, Brasserie Vacherin in Sutton, Le Vacherin in Chiswick and Fish & Grill in Croydon, continue to trade as normal.

John has declined to comment on either closure.

By Janie Manzoori-Stamford

E-mail your comments to Janie Manzoori-Stamford here.

If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.catererandhotelkeeper.com/tabletalk

Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs

Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs