The vanishings keep on happening. Chefs who have run wonderful restaurants fold their operations and disappear from the world of haute public dining rooms. It’s happened in New York and in London in my experience. I’m sure you’ve noticed it, too, wherever you are a regular – or were, until the chef up and left.

You then hear rumours. So-and-so has been snagged by a billionaire. You see an occasional post on social media clueing you in to said chef’s new lifestyle: no more endless nights bent over bookkeeping, no more customers who think orange wine is made with citrus, no more no-shows, no Yelp.

Bloomberg Opinion