Unlucky break forcesa temporary closure
Harry's Place, the Lincoln-shire restaurant that is the smallest anywhere to have won a Michelin star, has closed for at least a month because one of its owners has broken a leg.
Caroline Hallam, who runs front of house while husband Harry does the cooking, fell in the garden and broke her leg in three places.
The 10-seat restaurant was forced to close because there is nobody else to greet diners or wait on tables.
It is only the second time in 11 years that Harry's Place, in Great Gonerby, near Grantham, has been forced to shut unexpectedly. The last time was due to a leaking radiator, which was covered by insurance. This time the Hallams had no insurance to cover personal illness or injury.
"I expect we will be getting some now," said Harry Hallam.
He is earning some money by doing consultancy work and has been offered some work in the kitchens at another Michelin-starred restaurant, Hambleton Hall in Rutland.
Harry's Place could reopen in a month after employing somebody to run front of house until Caroline can walk without crutches. "In the meantime, she may just sit in a corner supervising what goes on in the dining room," said Hallam.
Harry's Place won its Michelin star in 1994 and has held it ever since. Unlike most Michelin-starred chefs, Hallam has had no formal training since a catering course in Birmingham in the 1960s.
by David Harris
