The owner of a fine dining restaurant that is closing its doors for good this weekend after more than two decades says this isn't the last Reading has seen of him.

L'Ortolan restaurant in Shinfield, which once held a Michelin star, will host its last ever set of diners on Saturday night after 23 years in business.

Owner Peter Newman told the Chronicle rising costs and shrinking clientele were reasons behind the difficult decision. He said the cost of living crisis had cut their customer base in half. 

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper from his restaurant earlier this week, he said: "It was a difficult decision to make but it got to the point where the cost of running the building as a restaurant didn't make sense anymore.

"As the Ukrainian-Russian war broke out my electricity bills went up to £4000 a month and food costs have risen dramatically."

Known to have been a birthplace of celebrated Michelin star chefs, L'Ortolan has contributed significantly to the culinary landscape, championing a chef-led menu creation approach.

During his time at the helm, Newman embraced an array of experiences, from hosting royalty to being the first UK restaurant supporting Tesla drivers.

"There have been so many memories that I will remember from over the last 23 years.

"We have had a King of the Rhelm dine here, we were the first Tesla supported restaurant in the UK and we maintained a Michelin star for the initial 18 years in business," he recalled.

While Newman, a software engineer and scientist by profession, eagerly anticipates spending quality time with his granddaughter and playing tennis, he also looks forward to reopening in Reading, promising it's not a final goodbye.

Throughout its years of operation, L'Ortolan served innumerable meals to a quarter of a million customers and trained over 100 chefs in French fine dining, leaving an indelible mark in the culinary community.

Unfortunately, the repercussions of Brexit, Covid-19 lockdowns, the Ukraine-Russian conflict, and elevated living costs spelt the end for this beloved gastronomic institution.