Ed Sheeran’s bar and diner Bertie Blossoms falls victim to Britain’s pub crisis as its debt rises to nearly £1.3million after struggling during Covid
Ed Sheeran’s Bertie Blossoms Faces Financial Strain Amid UK Pub Crisis
Ed Sheeran’s upscale Notting Hill eatery, Bertie Blossoms, has joined the ranks of struggling UK pubs as its debts hit nearly £1.3 million, according to accounts filed in December. The restaurant, which opened in September 2019 on Portobello Road in West London, has yet to achieve profitability despite its celebrity appeal.
Business Challenges and Staff Reductions
Net current liabilities for the venture, managed through Dive Bar Portobello, surged to £1.3 million by December 2024. The firm’s balance sheet also showed a £763,000 decline in value since December 2021. Staff numbers have dwindled to five, a stark contrast to the ten employees in 2020 and six the year prior.
Customer Criticisms and Menu Changes
Reviewers on TripAdvisor highlighted dissatisfaction with the restaurant’s offerings, noting that dishes like £19 meals were perceived as low quality. One patron remarked:
‘What a disappointment, the food options were limited. Which wouldn’t have been a problem if the quality wasn’t so poor. You could see through to the kitchen. Which looked more like a roadside catering van. Food tasted similar. Everything was manufactured and if it couldn’t be deep fried it was over-boiled or fried. Looked like a good clean wouldn’t hurt either.’
The eatery, named after Sheeran’s wife Cherry Seaborn, frequently updates its menu but has been known to serve steak, pasta, and chocolate and prune brownies.
During the pandemic, the singer opted to pay his ten staff members’ wages personally rather than furlough them. In 2021, he introduced a 50% discount on white wine to encourage takeaway orders. However, these efforts haven’t stemmed the financial tide, with the business continuing to lose ground.
Political Efforts to Rescue the Pub Sector
Amid the crisis, Reform UK unveiled plans to aid the UK’s pubs, including reducing VAT to 10% for the hospitality industry and scrapping an employer national insurance hike. The party also pledged to cut beer duty by 10% and eliminate business rates for all pubs. Reform MP Lee Anderson accused the Conservatives and Labour of enabling the closure of thousands of pubs over the past decade.
“The loss of one pub is not just the loss of a livelihood for a landlord, or the loss of a local employment hub,” Anderson stated. “It’s a loss to all of us as inheritors of a tradition dating back to Roman rule. Yet the Conservatives, and now Labour, have facilitated the closure of thousands of pubs over the last decade. Any contrition they show is false.”
Earlier this month, the Chancellor announced a £100 million rescue package for landlords, including a 15% business rates reduction for pubs in England. However, this hasn’t halted the ongoing closures, with a daily average of two pubs forced to shut their doors. Reform UK’s proposal aims to address these issues by reinstating the two-child benefit limit on Universal Credit, excluding working families.
