Staff ‘unaware’ prior to sudden closure of Coventry cocktail bar

Staff of The Botanist were left “devastated” after the bar closed abruptly, marking the end of Coventry’s iconic cocktail bar.

The Botanist, located in Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre, closed suddenly on 6 January. This came after six years of operating in Coventry.

The staff of The Botanist were not informed about the closure of the bar, leaving them “devastated”.

The New World Trading Company (NWTC), who operate The Botanist, said that they had been unaware that a listing had been put up on RightMove

The New World Trading Company (NWTC), who operate The Botanist, said that they had been unaware that a listing had been put up on RightMove.

The NWTC started a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA). These agreements let businesses repay debt over a set time frame.

The NWTC told CoventryLive: “We launched a CVA in October 2024, which was approved by more than 95 per cent of all responding creditors.

“As part of the successful CVA process, a further three non-profitable sites closed on January 6, including The Botanist, Coventry.”

Employees expressed the impact that this closure will have on their daily lives.

An employee told the BBC: “We are all devastated as we all genuinely really enjoyed our jobs and our colleagues.”

The NWTC reassured employees that team members will be relocated to minimise the damages caused by the closure.

They said that they plan to “continue to offer support to those who this isn’t suitable for”.

The NWTC added: “The property had been listed for lease prior to the conclusion of the Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA), by the landlord.”

We understand how distressing this may have been and empathise with our affected team members

– New World Trading Company

They expressed support for the team members, saying: “We want to clarify that this action was unrelated to NWTC, and we understand how distressing this may have been and empathise with our affected team members.”

Members of the public shared their thoughts on the CoventryLive Facebook page. Gillian Lovett described The Botanist as a “fascinating, beautiful, upmarket restaurant right in the city centre”.