Edinburgh chef Dean Banks urges Scottish Government to put cap on electricity bills

Chef Dean Banks, who runs two restaurants in Edinburgh, has urged the Scottish Government to take action over rising electricity costs.

On Monday, Mr Banks took to Twitter to complain about the eye-watering price of energy for his St Andrews restaurant. He wrote: “Slowly watching Haar Restaurant's Electricity bill creeping up every month.

"We are now up to 50k per year for just electricity.”

The Scottish chef, who runs Dean Banks at the Pompadour and Dulse in the Capital, complained: “British Gas just changes there direct debit at any time with no notice.”

Tagging First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the post, he asked: “When will the government put a cap on this.”

Chef Banks, who was a finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2018, recently re-opened his flagship Haar Restaurant in St Andrews, after he was forced to close it in early 2021.

He said: “I have always wanted to have Haar in St Andrews – it’s where it was born and where it will always belong. The restaurant is named after the haar rolling in over the sea.

Dean Banks outside The Pompadour in Edinburgh

“St Andrews is in my heart, it inspired Haar and it is where I want to crate the restaurant I always envisioned. This new venue can be what I always wanted Haar to be. I didn’t have full control of the last venue so having to close and find a new home was ultimately a good thing.

Yesterday, MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis said that there will be a "energy bill disaster" in the coming months.

He warned families of a price hike in October, and said that energy bills could hit £3,300 on average this winter.