The owners of a family restaurant have announced they are closing their doors after 35 years.

The owners of Gilbey’s Restaurant in Old Amersham announced "with an extremely heavy heart" that they will cease trading on Sunday November 5.

They were hit by a “perfect storm” of Brexit, Covid, lockdowns, the war in Ukraine, inflation and the energy crisis, making trading “very hard,” restaurateur Lin Gilbey said.

A statement on social media said: "It is with great sadness and with an extremely heavy heart we announce that after 35 years of trading in Old Amersham, we are to close our doors for the final time after lunch service on Sunday 5th November 2023.

"We have cherished every single minute of being a prominent business within the heart of the Old Town and we hope to see you all for the final meal with us before we close!

"We would like to take this opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to all of our loyal customers who have been with us over the 35 years, you mean so much to us all." 

Customers have been asked to book a table to enjoy their final Sunday lunch service.

Over the years, Lin has watched Old Amersham become a destination for cafes, restaurants and pubs “of all shapes and sizes" since they opened. 

During the pandemic, Gilbey’s set up an awning as part of efforts to utilise outdoor space to keep hospitality going.

Buckinghamshire Council later asked them to submit a retrospective planning application to retain it.

Lin said the removal of the canopy was “one more nail in the coffin” for the "beleaguered" restaurant.

Having to sell the restaurant felt “desperately sad,” she said.

She told the Free Press back in July, "Observing customers leaving Gilbey's happier as a result of being with us is one of life's greatest delights. Tracking the changing food and wine trends has been a tremendous challenge but we have always moved with the times. 

"Michael, my husband was an expert wine buyer and importer for the restaurant and I always had a great passion for food, working closely with our chefs on the ever-changing menus.”

Lin's other restaurant Gilbey's Bar Restaurant & Townhouse in Eton, which opened in 1975, will continue trading as normal. 

She recently bought the next door property to offer corporate entertaining and business meetings in the private dining area. 

"Sadly, our neighbourhood restaurant in Old Amersham has none of these add-ons so relying on our lovely local customers only, most of whom are experiencing a cost of living crisis, has resulted in reducing our profitability and viability," she added.