A French super-chef whose food has wowed the country for two decades today slammed the Home Office and Brexit after he was denied permanent UK residency despite living in the country for 23 years.
Claude Bosi, 47, who has won two Michelin stars at his London restaurants Hibiscus and Bibendum, has even shared a copy of his rejection letter on Instagram.
In a message to his 27,000 followers he said: ‘I have been in England for 23 years and today they have send me this …. I love Britain I considered until today like home but they just told me after 23 years of tax paid /Vat paid I’m not welcome.
Tagging in the Prime Minister the Lyon-born chef said: ‘WTF it’s going on in this world.. #thankyoubrexit @borisjohnsonuk did I do something wrong…?’.
Claude is a close friend of star chefs Heston Blumenthal, Sat Bains, Tom Kerridge Monica Galetti and James Martin, who supported him in a social media post this afternoon also declaring: ‘WTF?’.
Claude owns Bibendum which is located in Fulham, Chelsea.
When asked by one fan if the Home Office letter was a ‘practical wish’, he replied: ‘I wish’.
Star chef Claude Bosi, 47, pictured with his wife Lucy, has revealed that he has been rejected from the Home Office’s EU Settlement Scheme after 23 years in the UK
Mr Bosi, pictured with Masterchef star Monica Galetti, has received support from many of Britain’s top cooks today
Mr Bosi, 47, who is most famous for running the Hibiscus and Bibendum eateries in the capital, has shared a copy of his rejection letter on Instagram.
TV chef James Martin expressed his disbelief at the decision – as did many of Claude’s famous friends
Sat Bains, who has two Michelin stars, sent a sarcastic message of support to his irate friend
He does not share the reason for his rejection.
The EU Settlement Scheme was set up after Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016 with the aim of registering all 3million-plus EU nationals in the UK and giving the majority permission to stay for the rest of their lives.
The Home Office programme is to ensure enjoy full access to work, schools, hospitals, pensions and benefits.
Under the scheme, EU citizens who have lived in the UK lawfully for at least five years are granted ‘settled status’. This can be transferred into citizenship at a later date.
Anyone from the EU who has been resident for a shorter period will qualify for ‘pre-settled status’ and be allowed to stay on until they have reached the five-year threshold. They can then apply for settled status.
Official guidance points out that anyone who does not hold valid immigration permission to be in the UK after the end of this year could in the worst cases face deportation.
EU citizens still have until December 2020 to apply. The process requires verification of the applicant’s identity and nationality using a passport, ID card or other document.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: ‘Mr Bosi has not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme. He made an application for a permanent residence card – something which EU citizens living in the UK are not required or encouraged to do. His application for permanent residence was not successful because he did not provide sufficient evidence to show he met the criteria.
‘We have spoken to him to help him to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, which has already guaranteed the rights of over 2.5 million people.
‘It’s free, there is plenty of support available online, on the phone or in person and EU citizens and their families have until 30 June 2021 to apply.’
Claude Bosi opened Hibiscus in Ludlow, Shropshire, in 2000. Within a year he had won a Michelin star, and in 2004 he was awarded a second.
The restaurant moved closer to London in April 2007 with Bosi saying: ‘I’m transferring Hibiscus, not starting a new restaurant. The idea is to continue and build on what I have been doing.’
The timing of the move gave Michelin inspectors only had two weeks to visit the restaurant, meaning Bosi lost his second star in 2008.
Mr Bosi, pictured with friends Sat Bains, Heston Blumenthal and Jason Atherton has said: ‘did I do something wrong?’
Bosi has won two Michelin stars at his London restaurants Hibiscus and Bibendum (the latter is pictured on Fulham Road)
In 2009, Hibiscus placed second to The Fat Duck in UK National Restaurant of the Year Awards. Later that year Hibiscus’ second Michelin star was restored.
In 2016 he was among five UK-based chefs chosen to cook for Prince William and Kate at a charity event.
In 2012 the fiery French chef was involved in an extraordinary row with food blogger James Isherwood after he gave his meal a run-of-the-mill three out of five rating.
The two-star Michelin chef took to Twitter to launch a bizarre tirade of abuse at Mr Isherwood – even suggesting that she should have had the ‘balls’ to tell him he didn’t like the meal while he was at the restaurant.
Mr Bosi, a widely-regarded and highly-reviewed chef, wrote: ‘Nice way to gain respect with chefs…!! I think your a C*** and this its personal sorry…!!’
He went on to ask Mr Isherwood if he had enjoyed his meal, to which he responded yes, he had.
So Bosi ranted: ‘As a man you should say something to my face when I ask, Please buy yourself a pair of balls and play with them.’
The culinary community on Twitter picked up on the exchange and also started abusing the blogger, who gave a glowing review to Tom Kerridge’s Hand and Flowers gastropub.
But Mr Kerridge a two-Michelin-starred chef and friend of Mr Bosi, wrote: ‘Now your just being a c***! #notwelcomeinanyrestaurantever! #b*****d seeya d******d’ [sic].
Then Sat Bains, another two Michelin star chef with a restaurant in Nottingham dived in: ‘Heard a really good saying once, and it rings true today!!!! @claudebosi @ChefTomKerridge there is a c*** amongst us.!!!’.