The Berkshire pub, which was ranked No.22 in the Top 50 Gastropubs 2026 list, had been operated by Chapman since June 2022.
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Chapman, a fourth-generation chef, previously headed up the Royal Oak, Paley Street, where the pub gained a Michelin star, and took over the Crown from Michelin-starred chef Simon Bonwick in 2022. The Crown was also listed in the Michelin Guide in 2023.
He told The Morning Advertiser (MA) the decision to close had been “hugely difficult”, but said the site had struggled with rising costs, a small trading footprint and insufficient midweek footfall.
Chapman said: “We tried hard to make it a successful business and it just didn’t work. You get to a point where you’re working really hard and you’re not really making any money. When I say not really making any money, we were losing money.
“As much as I love the Crown, and it was an amazing restaurant, it’s bloody tough.”
‘Enough is enough’
The Crown officially closed this week, although Chapman said the site had been shut for the past couple of weeks while options were being reviewed.
He said: “With the huge costs of recruitment and the huge costs of rent and VAT, and all the stuff that everybody hears about every single day, it just got to that point where enough is enough.”
Chapman said the pub had strong support from locals, customers and suppliers, but its size and location made trading difficult.
He added: “The Crown was a small, 30-seater pub. It was a unique little pub, but with these unique sites, they are quite challenging to make money.
“We didn’t have enough people coming through the door. It was a little bit out of the way. We were busy on a Saturday, we were busy on a Sunday, but Friday night could be very quiet. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday could be very, very quiet.
“I’ve worked in many restaurants over the years and I’ve never had zero covers booked, and we used to get zero covers booked on a Wednesday or a Thursday evening. That’s soul destroying.”
New project
Chapman said members of the Crown’s team had moved across to his new project, The Jack O’Newbury in Binfield, Berkshire.
The pub and restaurant with rooms has opened following an investment of around £4m and is being operated by Chapman in partnership with restaurateur Nigel Sutcliffe.
Chapman said the larger site, which currently has eight bedrooms and will increase to 11, offered more revenue streams through accommodation, functions and weddings.
He added: “This is a much bigger operation, so hopefully that will stand us in good stead. We’ve got rooms, we’ve got a function area, we can do weddings, and hopefully that will drive revenue.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about getting people through the door and paying the bills.”
Chapman said he remained optimistic about the sector, despite the pressures facing operators.
He added: “I’m very optimistic, but I’m nervous at the same time. I am a chef, that’s my whole career. I can’t go and do something else because I don’t want to. We run restaurants. That’s what we do.”
