MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt has closed two of his restaurants in Worthing, West Sussex, leaving staff unpaid and sparking controversy. The 41-year-old, who won the BBC cooking competition in 2018, shut down Pitch and Bayside Social within the past three months, citing financial losses.
A local Facebook page alleged that staff at Pitch were not paid for their work and were not properly informed of the closure. The post claimed that employees are owed thousands of pounds in wages, holiday pay, and tips. One parent said their son was owed £800 in holiday pay and that all tips, including cash, had been withheld, leaving some staff reliant on food banks.
In a statement to The Sun, Tutt expressed regret and said he is working with the Redundancy Payment Service to ensure staff receive full payment, including holiday pay and redundancy, though the process may take up to five weeks. He added that over half of the team have been offered roles in new projects.
Tutt is now reportedly planning to open a café after a licensing application was approved by the council, a move that has drawn criticism from locals. One resident said: “Some employers are absolutely shocking! They should be ashamed of themselves.” Tutt previously blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for the closures, calling it a “very heavy heart” to say goodbye to Pitch.
