Chef-duo call time on Woodland House

Fine dining restaurant Woodland House in Prahran has closed after five years under its chef-owners.

The two-hatted restaurant was opened by acclaimed chef Jacques Reymond before being passed to his two understudies Hayden McFarland and Thomas Woods who bought him out in 2014 after 23 years.

The chef duo closed the restaurant on July 10 and appointed liquidators Worrells.

McFarland blamed a downturn in corporate function bookings as the reason for their decision, which was made just one week before they shut the doors.

"We held out as long as we could, hoping for a magic wand to be waved at us, but we couldn't carry on," he said

"We just weren't seeing the numbers through the doors in the function room upstairs.

"We've done our absolute best to ensure our small suppliers got paid."

McFarland said the closure of Woodland House was not an indication of the end of fine dining. "But maybe people don't want to do it in a 120-year-old mansion," he said.

Matthew Kucianski, of Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, said they are seeing increasing pressures in the hospitality space.

“The stresses felt by Woodland House are not unique," he said.

Sheridan Randall, 12^th July 2019