Five years of Brexit: famous London restaurants unable to find staff for daytime trading

There is no such thing as lunch for Pied a Terre and Le Gavroche as Brexit bites

Then British prime minister David Cameron on his campaign bus in June 2016. Five years ago, British people voted in a referendum that was meant to bring certainty to the UK’s fraught relationship with its European neighbours. The decision on June 23, 2016 was narrow but clear: By 52 per cent to 48 per cent, they chose to leave the EU. AP photo.

David Cameron and his wife Samantha leave after casting their votes in the EU referendum at a polling station in London. AP Photo

Voters head to the polls on June 23, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, celebrates and poses for photographers during a "Leave EU" party in London, in June 2016, after the voters chose to leave. AP Photo

Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Theresa May at an audience where she invited the former home secretary to become prime minister and form a new government, on July 13, 2016. Getty Images

After calling a snap general election in June 2017, Theresa May negotiated a deal between her party and Democratic Unionist Party to support a minority government. Getty Images

Theresa May and members of her Cabinet at the country retreat Chequers on July 6, 2018, where Ms May's new Brexit plans were agreed. Getty Images

Theresa May delivers a statement at Downing Street on November 14, 2018, after her Cabinet of senior ministers met and approved the wording of the draft Brexit agreement. Getty Images

Pro-EU campaigners stage a stunt outside Houses of Parliament involving a ship dubbed HMS Brexit on January 15, 2019 - the day MPs rejected May's Brexit plans in a vote. Getty Images

Then president of the European Council Donald Tusk and Theresa May at a round table meeting on April 10, 2019 in Brussels. The EU agreed to a flexible extension to Brexit until October 31. Getty Images

Theresa May outside 10 Downing Street on May 24, 2019 to announce that she would resign on June 7, 2019. Getty Images

Newly-elected Conservative party leader Boris Johnson poses outside the Conservative Leadership Headquarters on July 23, 2019. Getty Images

The Supreme Court rules that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful on September 24, 2019. Britain's top court said that Prime Minster Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in August 2019 when he requested that the queen prorogue parliament for more than a month. Getty Images

With the campaign message 'Get Brexit Done' Boris Johnson wins a landslide general election in December 2019. Getty Images

Anti-Brexit activists protest outside the Houses of Parliament on January 9, 2020, the day Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement Bill went through the commons after a vote. Getty Images

Pro-Brexit supporters celebrate as the UK exits the EU, at Parliament Square on January 31, 2020. Getty Images

David Frost and Michel Barnier begin formal negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and UK on March 2, 2020, in Brussels. Getty Images

Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen meet for dinner on December 9, 2020, in Brussels. Getty Images

Lorries parked on the runway at Manston airport as they wait to cross the English Channel on December 22, 2020. France halted freight and passenger travel from the UK over concerns about surging Covid-19 cases. Getty Images

Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel attend a Brexit signature ceremony on December 30, 2020, in Brussels, after an agreement was reached. Getty Images

A man waves flags as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square, in central London, on the day that the UK formally left the European Union - January 31, 2020. AFP

French fishing boats protest in front of the port of Saint Helier off the British island of Jersey to draw attention to what they see as unfair restrictions on their ability to fish in UK waters after Brexit, on May 6, 2021. AFP

Empty supermarket shelves are seen on July 23, 2021 in London. There were reports that some supermarkets had been emptying of fresh produce and household staples as Brexit lorry shortages combined with large numbers of staff isolating due to Covid-19 frustrated efforts to restock shelves. Getty Images

A man takes part in a driving lesson at the NDC heavy goods vehicle training centre on September 22, 2021 in Croydon, England. The combined forces of Brexit and Covid-19 created a severe shortage of HGV drivers in the UK. Getty Images

Anti-Brexit protesters wave the flags of the United Kingdom, Ireland and European Union outside Parliament on October 13, 2021. Getty Images

Protestors take part in a demonstration on November 20, 2021 in Newry, Northern Ireland, as fears grew that the UK government will trigger Article 16 which could see a return to a so called hard border. Getty Images

Two of London's famous Michelin-starred restaurants have closed for lunchtime trading because of a staffing crisis caused by Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum as an opportunity to create more jobs and revitalise Britain.

But David Moore, the founder of Pied a Terre in London, said that the hospitality industry was facing a recruitment crisis because of the large number of foreign citizens leaving the country.

Mr Moore said Brexit was "definitely the biggest" factor behind the staff shortage that has forced him to close at lunchtimes.

French celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr, who owns the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche restaurant in upmarket Mayfair, said it was “incredibly frustrating and painful” that he was also being forced to close at lunchtimes.

"The past year has sadly taken a great toll on the hospitality industry, but with restaurants finally being allowed to reopen, to everybody's relief, there is still a trickle effect of major problems affecting our industry, in this instance, staffing," he said.
"Since opening, restaurants up and down the country have suffered greatly with staffing problems partly due to new Brexit regulations as well as there now being a major lack of well-trained hospitality professionals since the pandemic struck.

“Whilst we have been working our hardest to resolve this issue over the last couple of months, Le Gavroche is sadly understaffed for the time being.”

UK Hospitality says 1.3 million foreign workers left the UK during the pandemic, ahead of next week's deadline for EU citizens living in the UK to apply for settled status.

So far 5.6 million applications have been received – significantly more than the 3.7 million the government estimated.

In some London boroughs the number of applicants was 80 per cent higher than their estimated population of EU citizens.

But Mr Moore said people were not responding to job adverts despite the salaries advertised.

"I don't know anybody who is not looking for a kitchen porter," he told the BBC.

Mr Johnson, the face of the successful Vote Leave campaign, said the referendum in 2016 and subsequent divorce from the bloc had given Britain an opportunity to “seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty”.

“With control over our regulations and subsidies, and with freeports driving new investment, we will spur innovation, jobs and renewal across every part of our country,” he said.

“The decision to leave the EU may now be part of our history but our clear mission is to utilise the freedom it brings to shape a better future for our people.”

But Mr Johnson’s enthusiasm is not shared by the majority of the UK, new poll results indicate.

A survey by Savanta ComRes found that if the referendum were held today the result would be a narrow win for Remain – by 51 per cent to 49 per cent – if those undecided were discounted.

On June 23, 2016, 51.9 per cent voted Leave and 48.1 per cent Remain.

The poll found that 6 per cent of Remain voters in 2016 would now vote Leave and 7 per cent of Leave voters would support Remain.

About a third of respondents – 31 per cent – regard Brexit as a success, with the same proportion viewing it as a failure.

The divided views stem from years of political instability leading to Mr Johnson's resounding election victory in December 2019.

He succeeded former prime minister Theresa May, who resigned after failing to unite the ruling Conservative Party behind her Brexit deal with the EU.

Mrs May's woes started after a damaging strategic error in 2017 when she called a snap election to strengthen her negotiating position with the bloc.

But she ended up losing her majority in the House of Commons.

Her predecessor David Cameron resigned as prime minister hours after the referendum result was announced.

Joao Vale de Almeida, the EU ambassador to the UK, said Brexit was "done, in a way, but not done, in another way".

"I think the worst way to respect Brexit is to keep fighting battles of the past and to keep trying to score points on disputes of the past," he told The Times.

Reflecting on the future of the UK and the EU, he said: “I don’t know what our relationship will be in 20 years’ time. I don’t know what the EU will be like in 20 years.

“And maybe I don’t know what your union here will be like in 20 years’ time. Who knows? So we have to be ready for change.”

The UK is facing several major issues linked to Brexit since the split.

In Northern Ireland, a dispute over the trading arrangement that effectively treats the province as part of the EU has threatened to collapse the power-sharing arrangement at Stormont.

Police also warned about the possibility of further violence in the province after numerous incidents in recent months.

In May, Britain's Royal Navy was sent to Jersey after French fishermen threatened a blockade in a dispute over fishing rights in waters off the British crown dependency.

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – buoyed by election results in May – is pushing for a second independence referendum.

Lord Michael Heseltine, a former deputy prime minister and now the president of campaign group European Movement, said the situation was chaotic.

“Five years on, Brexit is far from ‘done’. It has only just begun and the forecast is ominous,” he said.

“Storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, chief among them the threat to the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.”

The main opposition Labour Party also cited the unrest in Northern Ireland as among Mr Johnson’s most pressing issues.

“There is a direct line from the prime minister’s dishonesty over the deal he negotiated, to the instability we see in Northern Ireland today,” Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh said.

“The prime minister pledged never to put barriers down the Irish Sea and then a few months later did exactly that – this dishonesty is still having real consequences.”