Landmark restaurant Jonathans closed

Staff were in shock today after a landmark Black Country restaurant and hotel shut with the loss of 25 jobs.

Jonathans, on Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury, closed suddenly yesterday and has already been boarded up. Claire Morris, from administrators Smith Williamson, said: "Jonathans Ltd has gone into administration. "As a result the hotel has ceased to trade with immediate effect. Regrettably approximately 25 staff have been made redundant."

One member of staff, who worked for the conference and events team at the venue, said: "I got into work at 7.30am and by 9am this insolvency firm arrived. They called us in and told us we had lost our jobs as from 10am. It's come out the blue, we've been really busy and Christmas was fully booked."

She added: "The night before the management had come and emptied the wine cellar and took all the food for the a la carte menu. We wondered what was happening.

"This is a huge restaurant and hotel, it's been in business for so many years, I can't believe it's closed."

The three-star 45-bedroom hotel has been running for 30 years and boasted around 300 visitors a week.

Renowned for its traditional English cooking, Jonathans was Sandwell's most famous restaurant.

Security staff were last night boarding up the windows and a closure notice was put up at the window.

On average Jonathans had around 300 visitors a week and was used to operating at full capacity.

To stay it typically cost from £65 a night and a waiter breakfast service was offered.

The restaurant on the border of Sandwell and Birmingham was last year allowed to keep alterations intact, despite doing the work without planning permission. It had installed a new porch and replacement balconies. A retrospective planning application was rubber-stamped by the council.