East Midlands burger chain closes final restaurant

An East Midlands burger chain is set to close its last restaurant just three years after announcing plans to expand across the UK.

Meatcure will close its Market Harborough venue, blaming “excessive” rates and rents.

The company was set up in 2014 by Paul Rigby and Rob Martyniak. At its height, Meatcure had five restaurants in Market Harborough, Leicester, Hinkcley Crescent, Bedford and Leamington Spa. In June 2016, it revealed it was trying to raise £350,000 on crowdfunding platform Seedrs to open a further five.

A statement from Meatcure said: “We gave everything and invested every penny we had into making Meatcure the exceptional restaurant that we all loved so vey much. But, unfortunately, with excessive rents and rates and rising costs and fewer people spending than ever before, and with no money behind us to give Meatcure the regeneration we believe it needed to stay current we can no longer continue.

“We’ve battled for the past few weeks with our family and friends and our amazing staff beside us to exhaust all opportunities, ideas and paths but in all our time is done. We’re heartbroken if we are honest and even more so knowing that you guys will be too. Most importantly our staff, new and old, have grown up with us and become like family continue to remind us that it’s all about the people through the good times and bad because life is about experiences and memories and having amazing people to share them with is what really matters.

“We want to thank you all, our customers, our long-suffering families and amazing staff over the years.”