Retiring Joneses call it a day at Croque-en-Bouche

Croque-en-Bouche, the restaurant in Malvern Wells that has held a Michelin star for 22 years, is to close at the end of the month.

The Worcestershire restaurant is run by the husband-and-wife team Marion and Robin Jones. Marion does the cooking while Robin looks after guests.

Both are now in their 50s and have decided to retire from running the restaurant.

Marion said: "We have only been open for three nights a week in recent years but, to be honest, the hours can still be very long. I worked a 17-hour day yesterday and it wasn't even one of the days on which we are open."

The restaurant has a famous wine list, and Robin intends to carry on selling wine after the restaurant closes. His wife, who grows vegetables for the restaurant, also plans to continue doing this to supply other restaurants in the area.

The couple have always run Croque-en-Bouche on their own, which is one reason why Robin developed a reputation for irritability when guests turned up late.

He said: "That was just stereotyping, really. It's just that people like to give you a character. All it is based on is that if people turn up late, I tell them. Because of the way we operate, we stagger bookings on the half-hour, and it is important that people turn up on time."

Diners do not seem to mind. The restaurant is fully booked until it closes, with a substantial waiting list for cancellations.

by David Harris