Firstly I need to apologise to you our loyal customers. Maintaining radio silence at any time, particularly in this very trying one, is commercial suicide. I know. This damned pandemic has affected everything and everyone so I don’t regard myself as special in any way. What I can say is that after 30+ years of trading – starting at Glastonbury in 1989 – and four restaurants, hundreds of staff, dozens of suppliers and many tens of thousands of customers later I found my whole world ripped apart and it took everything I had just to get out of bed every morning and look after my two little ones along with my loyal and steadfast wife. I don’t need, or want to quite frankly, go into any details but suffice it to say I tried everything I could to keep the business afloat in any shape way or form. I was so focussed on that bigger picture that I had zero ability to think about deliveries, collections, eat out to help, sharing recipes or even just letting you know that we weren’t up to anything. Despite turning a profit for 29 of the last 30 years and paying umpteen pounds in tax and wages, I couldn’t get my bank to loan me any money.

Anyway, as we say “Enough Already”.

Next week we’re back in the game. Only baby steps but steps nevertheless. We will be starting with one venue and that one venue is St John’s Wood. Watch our socials for details.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Michael, founder and operator of The Gate.