Paul Kitching's 21212 restaurant set to close next month

Paul Kitching's 21212 restaurant is set to close next month following his death in December last year.

His partner Katie O'Brian announced the decision, posting on instagram: "It’s time to say goodbye. It’s with great sadness that we have unfortunately taken the decision to close the restaurant at 21212. Our last service will be on Saturday 1 April 2023.

"The passing of Paul has devastated all the team and the passion that runs through every fibre of the restaurant is not as evident as it was when he was alive – to us that is unacceptable to his memory.

"It has been a whirlwind journey for all of the team, past and present, since we opened in May 2009 and from the bottom of all our hearts we can’t thank you enough for your support over the years – we hope that you have lasting memories from your times spent with us in Edinburgh that you will cherish forever, we certainly do.

"We will be in touch with all guests who had a reservation beyond the date of closing. Our four bedrooms will continue to be available to those looking for a city base moving forward and I hope to see many of you again when you are next visiting Edinburgh."

 

 

 

 

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About Paul Kitching

Paul Kitching was chef patron of 21212 Restaurant in Edinburgh. He started as a kitchen porter in a Latin American restaurant in Newcastle before moving to York as a commis chef and realising he had a passion for classical cooking. He moved into Michelin kitchens in his early twenties including Restaurant 74 and Gidleigh Park before achieving his own star with his first restaurant Juniper.

He opened 21212 in 2009 with his partner Katie O'Brian and gained a Michelin star after just 6 months. Unfortunately the restaurant lost its star in the 2020 guide.

He spoke to The Staff Canteen in 2016 and when asked why he came in to the hospitality industry, he said: "The cold and unemployment! I left school and I was unemployed then I worked on a building site as a labourer in Newcastle until I was let go. It was a cold winter and I got a job from the job centre as a kitchen assistant and I was thinking ‘I’m going to be a chef!’

"I thought I’ll keep nice and warm, make some bread and eat what I want. I was 18 and the appeal stayed from there but I didn’t want to be a chef and I didn’t think about it seriously for another three or four years.

"I liked the modernism of a professional kitchen, the stainless steel, the design – more so than the food really. I didn’t think ‘I’m here to learn to cook’, I enjoyed the experience of being part of a machine."