The pair, who launched Hjem within The Hadrian Hotel in the village of Wall in 2019, had intended to restore the walled garden of Close House, a Georgian mansion in the Tyne valley, and build a new restaurant called Freyja alongside it. However, they have revealed that plans for the project have now been scrapped.
Hjem was set to close at the end of 2025 but its final service will now take place on 16 August.
Announcing the decision on Instagram, the restaurant says: “The decision brings to a close an extraordinary chapter in one of the North East’s most celebrated food stories, while also marking the end of the couple’s planned next chapter.”
The pair add: “Hjem has given us more than we could ever have imagined. From the guests who travelled across the country - and further - to dine with us, to the incredible teams who have worked alongside us over the years, we feel enormously grateful for the support, kindness and belief people have shown us.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we created together and we would love to welcome as many guests as possible over these final weeks to help us celebrate everything Hjem has been.”
With Freyja, the couple intended to create a ‘highly creative yet relaxed dining experience that’s seasonally driven and reflects the unique Northumbrian countryside’ with a walled garden, run by the team behind Hexham Organics, supplying much of the restaurant’s fruit and vegetables.