Michelin-recommended Scottish restaurant has closed with immediate effect

A Michelin-recommended restaurant has closed in the same week as an iconic Glasgow music venue has shut down.

Published 19th Jul 2023
Updated 8 th Aug 2023

The celebrated restaurant has closed down, with owners citing cost of living as the reason.

Inflation, rising food prices and aftershocks from Brexit continue to put pressure on Scottish hospitality businesses.

One recently casualty of this is the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand rated Monadh Kitchen in Bearsden, which has closed due to pressure from the cost of living crisis.

Husband and wife team Martin and Sharlene Thliveros say they made the decision for the health and well-being of their family.

Martin has been chef in some of the country’s top kitchens including Cameron House, One Devonshire Gardens and the Blythswood Square Hotel.

Martin and Sharlene's neighbourhood fine dining restaurant opened in 2017 and was an instant hit locals and visitors to Bearsden.

Monadh Kitchen has been Michelin recommended for some years, with the guide stating: “This delightful neighbourhood restaurant is personally run by a husband and wife team – and from the tartan-themed décor to the ingredients on the plate, the place screams Scotland.

"Appealing, seasonally evolving menus see classic Scottish cooking given a contemporary twist; desserts are a highlight.”

Monadh Kitchen restaurant closing
Picture: Shutterstock

Posting on social media, the statement from Martin and Sharlene read: "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Monadh Kitchen. The financial burden of the world we live in has forced us to close with immediate effect.

Managing through Covid to then head into a cost-of-living crisis has been the most difficult challenge for all small independent businesses, so please continue to support local. We have given it everything we possibly could, however it is no longer enough.

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"Our health, and the well-being of our family, can no longer be sustained under these pressures. We are devastated to be leaving such a wonderful area and customers we now consider friends after the past 6 years.

"You support will never be forgotten as we could never have done this without you. We are grateful for everything and will cherish the memories we’ve made."

13th Note also closing down

The news comes as another Glasgow restaurant, the 13th Note, has also ceased trading.

The longstanding pub and venue, a part of the Glasgow music landscape for the last 21 years, was embroiled in a battle with Unite Union over staff pay and conditions. Owner Jacquelien Fenessy has appointed liquidators, blaming this protracted dispute.

A statement on the closure reads: "It is with deep sadness that today we have been forced to close the doors of the 13th Note and appoint liquidators following operating the venue successfully for 21 years.

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"Over more than two decades, we’ve played host to thousands of bands, performers, promoters and artists, while playing a significant role in the vibrant cultural scene of Glasgow.

"I’m devastated with the closure of a business I’ve cherished and loved along with the hundreds of loyal customers who frequented the Note, and I would like to thank everyone who has played a role in creating what was a vibrant Glasgow institution. It has been an honour to have been a part of your lives.

"The challenges of running an independent hospitality venue in today’s climate of inflationary pressures and post-lockdown challenges have been well documented.

"However, it has been the involvement of Unite Hospitality that has caused a drastic reduction in revenue that has forced our closure and the loss of all jobs at the 13th Note."

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Known for cake making, experimental jam recipes, Champagne, whisky and gin drinking (and the inability to cook Gnocchi), Rosalind is the Food and Drink Editor and whisky writer for The Scotsman, as well as hosting Scran, The Scotsman's food and drink podcast.
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