A POPULAR chef who was recommended for a Michelin star has been forced to close his award-winning restaurant.
Jonathan Brown worked under chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Marco Pierre White and John Burton Race for more than 20 years, before establishing a name for himself when he set up The DuCane restaurant in Great Braxted three years ago.
Priding himself on working with local produce such as Tiptree jams and meat from Wicks Manor Farm Park, Mr Brown's aim was to create a restaurant that served fine cuisine at reasonable prices.
In 2010 he was crowned Chef of the Year, and The DuCane was Newcomer Restaurant of the Year, at our Essex Food and Drink Awards, while the restaurant was also highly recommended in a number of food and drink guides for Essex.
But as of December 21, and to the disappointment of Christmas diners, locals and friends of Mr Brown, the DuCane has stopped trading.
Friend and fellow Essex chef Mark Baumann said he was saddened to hear the news.
He added: "I heard about it only a few days ago and we are extremely sorry about it.
"Not only is Jonny a really classy chef, but he's also a very good friend. But these things do happen.
"I don't think it was anything to do with anything he's done – the industry has been tricky for a number of years and particularly when you set something up, it's hard when you're going from scratch to develop a following and a loyal clientele.
"We are very, very sad here, and we wish Jonny all the best. Knowing Jonny he will spring back very quickly. He's an asset to Essex – unlike so many of the cowboys out there."
A statement on The Du Cane website says that the restaurant has now gone into liquidation but nobody was available for comment.
