MasterChef winner forced to close restaurant hits out at ‘harsh & unfair’ diners & accuses them of ‘destroying’ trade

A MASTERCHEF winner forced to close his restaurant has hit out at "harsh and unfair" diners who "destroyed" his trade.

Simon Wood, 48, saw his fine dining establishment WOOD Manchester cease trading just months ago.

He became a professional chef aged 38 in 2015 when he won the amateur version of MasterChef.

Simon then went on to open WOOD Manchester in 2017 but his restaurant pulled down the shutters after facing down rent arrears, rising bills and spiralling ingredients costs.

In a post on LinkedIn, the former BBC cooking competition winner has now hit back at critics.

He claimed well-known review websites like OpenTable, Tripadvisor and Google have become "spaces where a restaurant's reputation can be unfairly destroyed by people who may lack understanding, knowledge or even the decency to give honest feedback".

Simon added: "Constructive feedback is always welcome and appreciated, but unfiltered negativity or dishonesty?

"That's not only unfair - it's damaging."

Defending the eateries, he added: “Restaurants aren’t faceless businesses.

"They’re built on the hard work, passion and livelihoods of the people behind them.”

The chef continued: “A single review can ripple through a team, not just as a hit to the business but to the people who pour their hearts into creating something special.

"That's not only unfair - it's damaging."

Viewers were quick to weigh in with their opinions in the comments.

A number of other business owners agreed with the 48-year-old's stance.

One wrote: "Always amazes me the lack of thought that some people have when leaving reviews some come across as if they actually want people sacked."

Another said: "I've had a bad review from someone criticising a product I don’t sell."

It comes just a few months after the MasterChef star was forced to close down his fine-dining restaurant, WOOD Manchester due to financial pressures.

WOOD Manchester was Michelin-recommended in 2019 and has won the double AA Rosette award.

The dad of four from Saddleworth, Manchester, opened his self-titled bistro seven years ago, creating dishes with "seasonal, high welfare and foraged" produce.

Guests could expect to fork out £125 for his "Chef's Selection Menu" and wine flight - which featured veal sweetbreads and hand-dived scallops.

The restaurant's website was still advertising its £60 per head Christmas menu when Simon took to social media to say it had shut for good.

In October, Simon told his X followers that the eatery would close immediately after seven years in business, which he put down to “an increasingly difficult marketplace”.

He also pointed at rising cost of bills and ingredients and rent arrears built up over the pandemic all contributed to the decision.

At the time, Simon also hit out at the “outrageous” attitudes from some customers after a table of five “no-showed” without notice, which came with a photo of an empty table alongside the caption: "What a way to support a small business."

In the statement, the chef said it was with “much regret I must close the doors here at WOOD for good”.

He also thanked customers, staff and suppliers for their support and said he was “very proud of what the team and I have achieved”.