BBC’s Great British Menu star suddenly shuts top restaurant to ‘focus on his health’ & admits ‘I need to slow down’

A BBC Great British Menu star has suddenly shut down his top restaurant to "focus on his health", admitting "I need to slow down".

Budgie Montoya was tragically forced to call time on his London-based Apoy after less than a year, due to heart problems.

Launched in May last year, the joint served up flavours from Budgie's native country of the Philippines - which he first showcased on Series 18 of the cooking show in 2023.

In a statement shared to Instagram on New Year's Eve, the chef said he needed to take a break from the fast-paced restaurant industry to concentrate on his own wellbeing.

He said: "Adjusting my life to live with heart failure has forced me to confront some difficult realities.

"This industry, this world I love, so deeply demands so much.

"And while I’ve given it everything I’ve got, it’s time to listen to what my body’s been trying to tell me."

The Filipino-Australian was also sadly forced to close his other restaurant, Sarap, a Filipino barbecue joint in south London, back in 2022 due to the effects of the pandemic.

He added: “From Sarap to Apoy, I’ve carried the dream of sharing Filipino cuisine with the world.

"I can’t say I achieved everything I set out to, but I know I gave it my all.

"If I managed to crack open even one door for another Filipino chef, or inspire someone to cook our food with pride, then every sacrifice was worth it."

However, Budgie's stressed that Apoy's closure would not mark his permanent exit from the industry.

He added: “It’s just a pause. My passion for this industry, our food, our stories, and our culture hasn’t faded.

"I’ll be back, in a way that keeps the fire alive without burning myself out."

The chef has previously spoken about the importance of food in helping him reconnect with his roots while growing up in Australia.

He told The Caterer in 2022: "I left the Philippines when I was five, so I was very much an Aussie kid in a Filipino body.

"I don’t speak the language, so I chose a language I know better, which is food."

The sad news comes as another renowned chef, Gary Usher, who starred in the Channel 4 documentary "The Rebel Chef: My Restaurant Revolution", announced the closure of his restaurant after 10 years.

The famed chef opened Burnt Truffle in July 2015 in Heswall, Merseyside, followed by a second outlet, Elite Bistros.

In a message posted on X, he explained that the lease of the restaurant had ended and that they had chosen to not renew it as the "honest truth" was that they had "never been able to make it work" at the site.

He added: "Thank you to all the team & all the guests over the last 10 years."