Marcus Wareing: ‘Do Michelin stars matter? I love fine dining, but it’s now a very expensive sort of luxury’

After nearly 40 years at the helm of award-winning restaurants, Marcus Wareing has hung up his apron for good. He tells Hannah Twiggs why accolades aren’t what they are cracked up to be, how ‘Masterchef’ changed his perspective and why he quit before his hand was forced

After four decades of working in restaurants, Wareing is hanging up his apron... at least for a while (BBC/Shine TV)

If restaurant openings are 10 a penny, big-name closures must be close to a pound these days.

Recent departures include Michel Roux’s Le Gavroche in January after 57 years of service, Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street after 13, and Monica Galetti’s Mere in April. They cited a better work/life balance, “unsustainably high costs” and the post-Brexit rules savaging the industry.

Most chefs don’t stay away for long. Roux is already back at his old stomping ground The Langham. Atherton has just announced not one but four new projects this year.