Cafe run by former MasterChef champion temporarily closed

12:30pm Monday 7th January 2013 in News

A CAFE run by a former MasterChef champion has temporarily closed its doors.

The Chesil Beach Cafe at the revamped Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre on Portland stopped taking bookings for dates after yesterday.

The centre re-opened on July 21 last year following a major £1.1m refurbishment.

It is run by Dorset Wildlife Trust on behalf of a partnership including Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, the Jurassic Coast Team and the Chesil Bank and the Fleet Nature Reserve.

Beaminster chef Mat Follas, winner of Masterchef 2009, operated the cafe with a ‘strong emphasis on sustainable and locally sourced food’.

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Discover Chesil project officer Emily Brown confirmed the closure and was unable to give any more details about the future of the cafe.

She said: “It’s under consideration at the moment and still being discussed.

“The cafe is closing temporarily.”

Mat Follas scooped a hat trick of accolades last year at his Beaminster restaurant The Wild Garlic, which made it in the Michelin, AA and Good Food Guides for the third year running.

Comments(26)

DickDastardly says...
12:44pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Well if the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council are involved I assume we will see the Cafe bulldozed and a car park in its place very soon.

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malkie says...
1:06pm Mon 7 Jan 13

This was on the cards the moment it opened. The people that use this car park want bacon rolls and the like after fishing & windsurfing etc. not gormet meals at £12 a time.

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linspring says...
2:53pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Didn't think it would last long. I went in their one evening in the summer for a coffee and to sit by the fleet and take in the sunset and was refused. They only cater for gourmet meals in the evenings, not locals wanting coffees! Needless to say, I never went back.

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shy talk says...
3:13pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Opportunity for a master cook burger wagon now. As pointed out that’s what people want. None of that over priced stuff.

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paulst says...
3:55pm Mon 7 Jan 13

we went for breakfast over the summer & it was awful. service was appalling & food was mediocre.
surprised it lasted this long to be honest.

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212 dorset says...
5:48pm Mon 7 Jan 13

This bloke cleary has no business idea. He obviously thought he would cash in on the Olympics, and his plan has backfired. Be interesting to know what rents he paid etc.

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I'mavoter says...
6:43pm Mon 7 Jan 13

I hate to say "I told you so" but........
I also note that those regular posters here, that slagged me off at the time have remained noticeably silent.

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portland rebel says...
7:41pm Mon 7 Jan 13

its as it say's a cafe and thats what people want and not overpriced swill.

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Bollard says...
10:52pm Mon 7 Jan 13

I wonder what other local establishments will go to the wall now the winter has set in and the Olympics are a distant memory. Not that I wish failure on anyone - I notice the Royal Victoria Lodge on Portland has closed.

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I'mavoter says...
12:35am Tue 8 Jan 13

DickDastardly wrote:
Well if the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council are involved I assume we will see the Cafe bulldozed and a car park in its place very soon.
Ha ha !

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Fraggle says...
10:14am Tue 8 Jan 13

My family went in there one morning a while back and bearing in mind there was about 7 of us and only having drinks and cakes, the guy serving still forgot to bring my drink and didn't even notice until I had to go up and ask for it! I hate to think what service was being provided in the evening for meals! Though going by the write up from the mystery/secret diner in the Echo, then i'm not surprised its shut!

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Under35andout says...
12:42pm Tue 8 Jan 13

might chuck a food van there sell burgers bacon rolls and crepes and coffee :P

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fastjet says...
1:24pm Tue 8 Jan 13

portland rebel wrote:
its as it say's a cafe and thats what people want and not overpriced swill.
I bet you have never been there. You just follow other peoples coments

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fastjet says...
1:25pm Tue 8 Jan 13

I'mavoter wrote:
DickDastardly wrote:
Well if the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council are involved I assume we will see the Cafe bulldozed and a car park in its place very soon.
Ha ha !
What a D**K

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fastjet says...
1:25pm Tue 8 Jan 13

I'mavoter wrote:
DickDastardly wrote:
Well if the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council are involved I assume we will see the Cafe bulldozed and a car park in its place very soon.
Ha ha !
What a D**K

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repiano says...
5:59pm Tue 8 Jan 13

A shame to see any business fail but perhaps whoever takes it over will have learnt the lesson here and go about it in a different way - that is selling affordable snacks (still using local food) and drinks in a more relaxed manner. I hope to see it up and running again soon.

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brutus says...
9:55pm Tue 8 Jan 13

fastjet wrote:
portland rebel wrote: its as it say's a cafe and thats what people want and not overpriced swill.
I bet you have never been there. You just follow other peoples coments
exactly, it amazes me how horrible people are about others misfortunes

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malkie says...
1:44am Wed 9 Jan 13

brutus wrote:
fastjet wrote:
portland rebel wrote: its as it say's a cafe and thats what people want and not overpriced swill.
I bet you have never been there. You just follow other peoples coments
exactly, it amazes me how horrible people are about others misfortunes
No brutus, I do not believe that people are being horrible when they comment, I just believe that they have sense enough to realise that a car park is not the best place for a gourmet restaurant and even if you are the best chef in the world, you cannot charge stupid prices in a cafe that sells meals that visitors do not want. This man thought that his reputation would make money, but unfortunately for him, he has learnt that it takes a lot more than that in today's world.

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hootboot says...
11:09am Wed 9 Jan 13

I think a drinking venue would go down well here and when they come out at three in the morning get run over by other drunks from Weymouth on the Portland causeway.

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hootboot says...
11:12am Wed 9 Jan 13

Tell the WPDC we need more drunks. We're running low.

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DucksQuack says...
12:00pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Obviously a very talented chef, but as others have said, perhaps no the best location.

I hope he chooses to stay close and open a better located cafe in the town, or even Dorchester so that we can enjoy his food.

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rodwell-t-rail says...
10:57pm Wed 9 Jan 13

I have asked W&PBC for permission to run a catering wagon/ old railway carriage serving food that the people would want on the Rodwell Trail. They said they would consider the idea and get back to me but it may take them six months because they are busy. Even then they said that if they agreed then they could not just let me do it they would have to put my idea out to tender. Thanks. My long term vision was to try to run a Land Train along the Trail from Abbotsbury Rd to Ferrybridge/ Portland which could have also dropped customers off at this cafe/restaurant so I hope that it re-opens

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Macca84 says...
3:58am Thu 10 Jan 13

rodwell-t-rail wrote:
I have asked W&PBC for permission to run a catering wagon/ old railway carriage serving food that the people would want on the Rodwell Trail. They said they would consider the idea and get back to me but it may take them six months because they are busy. Even then they said that if they agreed then they could not just let me do it they would have to put my idea out to tender. Thanks. My long term vision was to try to run a Land Train along the Trail from Abbotsbury Rd to Ferrybridge/ Portland which could have also dropped customers off at this cafe/restaurant so I hope that it re-opens
Land train? Going half way across the beach road. Nooooo thank you. Lovely idea but completely inappropriate/annoyi
ng/dangerous. Stick to catering.

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InterestedOutsider says...
9:42am Fri 11 Jan 13

It was fine for a coffee after a walk and a game of "let's try to avoid the steaming piles of dog mess" along the Rodwell Trail......

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Get a grip says...
3:13pm Sun 13 Jan 13

rodwell-t-rail wrote:
I have asked W&PBC for permission to run a catering wagon/ old railway carriage serving food that the people would want on the Rodwell Trail. They said they would consider the idea and get back to me but it may take them six months because they are busy. Even then they said that if they agreed then they could not just let me do it they would have to put my idea out to tender. Thanks. My long term vision was to try to run a Land Train along the Trail from Abbotsbury Rd to Ferrybridge/ Portland which could have also dropped customers off at this cafe/restaurant so I hope that it re-opens
Ask once more.

I was told if you have an original idea they will grant you a licence for 3 years.

.

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billylovesweymouth says...
4:03pm Sun 13 Jan 13

There is a perfectly good cafe at Sandsfoot Castle. Very popular throughout the year so may not be such a good idea

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