Edinburgh restaurant 21212 to close following death of chef patron Paul Kitching

Edinburgh restaurant 21212 will close following the death of chef patron Paul Kitching in December, it has been announced.

Kitching's partner, Katie O'Brian, with whom he founded 21212 in 2009, wrote a message to the restaurant's mailing list, announcing that the venue's final service would be 1 April 2023.

She said: "The passing of Paul has devastated all the team and the passion that runs through every fibre of the restaurant is not as evident as it was when he was alive - to us that is unacceptable to his memory.

"It has been a whirlwind journey for all the team, past and present, since we opened in May 2009 and from the bottom of all our hearts we can't thank you enough for your support over the years - we hope that you have lasting memories from your times spent with us in Edinburgh that you will cherish forever, we certainly do."

Kitching was born in 1963 and started his career in hospitality as a pot washer in 1981. After three years of studying at Newcastle Polytechnic he worked at Michelin-starred establishments including Gidleigh Park in Chagford and Restaurant 74 in Canterbury.

He became head chef for the first time at Nunsmere Hall hotel in Cheshire in 1991. He then won a Michelin star at his first restaurant, Juniper in Greater Manchester, which he opened in 1997 alongside O'Brian. 21212 held a Michelin star between 2009 and 2019 as well as four AA rosettes.