The restaurant will close its doors in a few days’ time.
The married mum of three had worked at The Grounds since it opened in 2016, first as a barista and later as a duty manager, before becoming the owner.
The owners were “beyond grateful” to every customer and supporter, and their “amazing staff, past and present”, they wrote in Monday’s social media post announcing it was “time … for us to say goodbye”.
“What started as a restaurant became so much more – a place filled with laughter, celebrations, friendships, late nights, busy mornings, loyal customers, and unforgettable memories.”
Ben Bayly owns several restaurants in Auckland and Central Otago.
Bayly, whose TV appearances also include MasterChef New Zealand, Hangi Pitmasters, A New Zealand Food Story and The Restaurant that Makes Mistakes, couldn’t be contacted for comment.
The celebrity chef owns Auckland restaurants Ahi and Origine as well as AOSTA, Little Aosta and the Blue Door Bar in Arrowtown, and The Bathhouse on the shores of Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu, according to his website.