Award-winning Bristol restaurant announces shock closure after 12 years

An award-winning Bristol restaurant is to close its doors after 12 years. Poco on the corner of Jamaica Street and Stokes Croft, will close in the spring.

The restaurant gained a national reputation for its food and sustainability, winning 'Sustainable Business of the Year' at the Food Made Good Awards several times.

Run by Ben Pryor, Tom Hunt and Jen Best, the restaurant opened in 2012. But the owners have announced that it will close in a few months’ time due to logistical and personal reasons.

In a statement, the owners said: “With both operational directors having young families and Jen moving to Devon, the time feels right to turn the page on a new chapter in our lives. We’ll continue to trade as we search for the right buyer for our lease, with the end of spring as a working horizon.

"The heart of Poco has been our community and we want to thank you all for the support you’ve given us over the past 12 years. You’d be hard pressed to find a more creative, talented and inspiring neighbourhood on the planet and opening our doors each morning to you all has been a joy and a privilege beyond words. Thank you.

“It’s not the usual thing to go public with news like this months before it happens, we’ve always valued honesty and transparency though and didn’t feel it right to put the business on the market without telling our team. 

“It also felt right that as we’ve played host to so many important life events, first dates and proposals over the years that we gave those of you for whom our space means something special a chance to come one last time. We’ll be here cooking up a storm while we search for the right buyer and we hope that lots of you who feel to can come and raise a glass.”