Wander forced to close while owner appeals visa decision
Wander restaurant in London's Stoke Newington has been forced to closed while Australian chef-owner Alexis Noble appeals a decision to deny her visa extension.
Noble posted on Instagram that she had to close the restaurant and cancel reservations as while she is appealing the decision she is not legally allowed to work. The venue opened in 2017 and serves a seasonal and globally-inspired sharing menu.
On Instagram, Noble said: "It has been a very heartbreaking and stressful time, & it has taken a few days to consult with lawyers, figure out next steps and try get over the shock of it all. Unfortunately I will be reaching out to everyone who has made reservations for the rest of the year and have to cancel them and Wander will no longer be open until this situation can be resolved.
"I don't want to comment too much on my situation whilst I am appealing the decision, but after finally reopening and feeling like we were just getting back to normal its very painful to close again. Whilst I have always known my immigration status was temporary, after investing so heavily in both this business and the UK and after fighting so hard throughout the pandemic to survive, I naively never considered this to be a possibility."
She added: "It is extremly heartbreaking and stressfull [sic] to be forced to close again after all the months of forced closures due to Covid, but rather than give up, we are going to try & find a silver lining and use this time to create something."
