Overview
- The closure was announced by Andreas Antona on Thursday after he said he had 'no choice' following failed buyers and mounting financial pressure.
- Antona put Simpsons on the market in January 2025 with an initial asking price reported at about £850,000 and says three sales fell through during the roughly 18 months since.
- Simpsons won a Michelin star in 1999 and has operated from a Grade II‑listed Georgian villa in Edgbaston since 2004, helping launch the careers of several local chefs.
- Antona confirmed Simpsons’ sister restaurant The Cross in Kenilworth will remain open and staff and alumni have been publicly thanked in his statement.
- The announcement prompted strong local reaction, with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker calling it 'genuinely sad news' and industry figures warning the closure highlights pressures on UK hospitality and gaps in policy support.