A huge restaurant chain with over 150 branches across the UK will permanently close its doors in a popular shopping centre location today. Toby Carvery, which has been serving up roast dinners for more than 40 years, is shutting its restaurant at The Brewery Shopping Centre in Romford.

The company is planning to return the site to the landlord. Although the chain operates more than 150 locations nationwide, it aims to move as many employees as possible to nearby restaurants. The closure follows the recent departure of a Frankie & Benny’s in the same complex after its lease came to an end.

A spokesperson for Toby Carvery told the Romford Recorder when the closure was announced: “We can confirm the Toby Carvery at Romford will close on May 10 after service and the site will be returned to the landlord.

“This decision has been taken after careful consideration and as part of the continual review of our estate and we are in consultation with the team and hope to redeploy as many employees as possible at our other nearby businesses.

“We’d like to thank our loyal guests and the brilliant team at Romford for their support.”

The spokesperson added that Toby Carvery “look[s] forward to bringing our famous salad bar and fresh rotisserie back once we’ve identified the right site”, and directed customers to nearby branches in Chadwell Heath or Brentwood in the meantime.

In February this year, Frankie & Benny’s shut a UK shopping centre branch with no notice. Its site in Whiteley Shopping Centre, Fareham, Hampshire, 13 years after it opened.

Frankie & Benny’s saw significant cutbacks in recent years, with 120 restaurants closing between 2020 and 2021 and another 35 announced for closure in 2023.

In the Black Country, the chain’s final remaining branch shut in September, when the long‑standing Dudley restaurant served customers for the last time on August 31 after more than two decades in the town.

A spokesperson said the team was “saddened” by the closure and expressed gratitude to the “fantastic” staff who helped shape the restaurant.