Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant chain goes into liquidation

TV chef launched grab-and-go pasta bar in 2012

A chain of pasta restaurants owned by TV chef Gino D’Acampo has gone into liquidation.

The My Pasta Bar chain, which spans three sites in London, was launched in 2012 as a grab-and-go initiative that allowed diners to enjoy pasta on the move.

The first site was opened in Fleet Street and was followed by outposts in Leadenhall Market and Bishopsgate.

The chain was inspired by D’Acampo’s “own experience of the fresh food markets of Naples” and served dishes such as breakfast rotolini pastries, antipasti, salads, pastries, speciality breads and desserts.

The 45-year-old TV chef also has a chain of restaurants in his namesake, with venues in Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool; none of these have been affected by the recent liquidation.

D’Acampo was born and raised in Naples before he moved to the UK, where he opened his first restaurant at the age of 21.

He is a regular on ITV’s This Morning and has presented numerous cooking programes, including Let’s Do Lunch, There’s No Taste Like Home and Gino’s Italian Escape.

In 2009, D’Acampo was crowned winner in the ninth series of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

The chef recently spoke about the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, telling The Daily Mail: “Well, I can see you run here, you run there. The danger is that by running everywhere, you’re missing out on the many beautiful things the world has to offer.

“My suggestion is to stop running, stop working and enjoy what you’ve built up.”

He continued: “Now I work for six months running my restaurants, then we spend half the year at our vineyard in Sardinia. I don’t do one day more of work than I do of holiday.

“Otherwise, I see myself as a failure as a father and a husband, because I don’t give enough time to the people around me. I’d rather bank memories than money.”

The Independent has contacted D’Acampo for comment.