After losing his restaurant empire in April 2020, it's sad to see that Mark Hix has announced the closure of The Fox Inn in Dorset's Corscombe, leaving him with The Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis.
The celebrated chef bought the country pub from singer PJ Harvey's mother, a family friend, in December 2020 and then permanently relocated to Dorset in January 2021.
Mark announced the closure, which will take place after last service on Saturday, on Instagram and The Oyster & Fish House website, posting this heartfelt message:
There’s no easy way to start this post. I know that I don’t need to tell anyone how hard it has been for everyone in the industry since Covid hit, and the challenges simply continue with rising costs and a difficulty to recruit like I have never known in my whole career.
And so, with a heavy heart, it is time to permanently close the doors of The Fox Inn. I won’t be making a big press announcement; we will simply close the doors after lunch service on July 17th. But I wanted to personally contact our guests and followers to let you know first, as you have all been such a great support over the last two years since I started to rebuild my life in Dorset.
'The team have worked hard to make it work, both at the pub and behind the scenes. Sadly, the challenges were just too tough to make it work. I want to thank them for all their hard work, dedication, and loyalty, both to me and the business – they know who they are...
I am feeling slightly numb having to close another business so soon after opening, but this is the reality so many of us are now facing.
Thankfully, The Oyster & Fish House continues to do really well, and we do hope that our Fox guests will come and visit us on the coast as much as possible.
Thank you for all your support,
Best fishes
Mark
Editor Becky says, 'We'd like to wish Mark and his team the very best of luck with the ongoing success of The Oyster & Fish House, as the hospitality industry continues to face many challenges. The Oyster & Fish House delivers stunning views to enjoy while sampling some of the best locally sourced fish and seafood dishes around.
'On 3 September, Mark will be kicking off the native oyster season with the official Hix Oyster Celebration, an all-day event honouring the life and times of the oyster on the Deck of The Oyster & Fish House - so there's still lots of great things happening chez Hix.'