Bankrupt chef carries on cooking

Former Scottish new restaurant chef of the year John Mackay, who was declared bankrupt at the end of September, has carried on cooking in the same kitchen after his wife set up a company to operate on the site of his old restaurant.

The new Edinburgh restaurant has the same name as the old one, The Rock, but is owned by a new company, The Rock Restaurant Ltd, which has been set up by Mackay's wife Jeannette with her own money.

Mackay was declared bankrupt on 28 September with a number of creditors, including the Inland Revenue. He had stopped trading at the end of June. Mackay wife's company started trading on 1 July.

He is head chef in the new restaurant, which has 78 seats.

Mackay said that his business had "suffered as a result of the substantial downturn in the restaurant trade in Leith over the last 12 months".

He added that his wife's initial bid to purchase the lease on the building had been without his knowledge.

"I didn't want her to do it when I first found out, but she persuaded me. I think people should know that she has done a very good thing here."

Mackay's 1997 new restaurant chef of the year award was given by the Scottish Chefs Association.

by David Harris david.harris@rbi.co.uk