His flagship restaurant Simpsons - which launched in the early 1990s - has been placed on the market with Christie & Co to allow Antona to spend more time with his family and ‘other projects close to his heart’.
A premium of £850,000 is being sought for the lease of the Edgbaston restaurant with rent currently set at £99,000 per year.
The Greek-Cypriot British chef-turned-restaurateur will retain his Michelin-starred The Cross in Kenilworth and SOKO Patisserie in Solihull overseeing them on a ‘part-time basis’
Antona trained in Germany and Switzerland during his early years as a chef and on returning to the UK he worked with some of the best chefs of the era including Anton Mosimann OBE and the late Michael Quinn.
He launched Simpsons in 1993 in Kenilworth but moved it to its current home in a Grade-II listed building in 2004. The business has held a Michelin star since 1999.
The kitchen at Simpsons is led by chef director Luke Tipping, who has been a core part of the team since the restaurant launched over three decades ago.
Antona stepped back from the kitchen around 15 years ago to focus on being a restaurateur, launching The Cross in 2013, which also went on to win a Michelin star chef director Adam Bennett.
Antona has played a central role in the UK’s participation in high-profile international cookery competition the Bocuse d’Or.
He founded the Bocuse d’Or UK Academy at the Houses of Parliament in 2017 and has been behind much of Team UK’s recent success.
“Last year, I marked fifty years as a chef and restaurateur, having started out at Ealing College in 1974. I feel lucky to have witnessed the boom and development of our industry into the wonderful profession it is now,” Antona says.
“Following a lot of soul searching, I’ve realised there is never a good time to retire, but when something from within is telling you to reevaluate and enjoy life, family, friends, travel and golf - you need to listen. It is following this realisation that I have decided to sell Simpsons, the restaurant where my life as a chef patron began.”
“Simpsons has a big place in my heart and a sale of this importance will take time. We have a fantastic team in place and I want to be sure that the buyer shares our passion to continue and build on Simpsons’ longstanding success.”
