At November’s Lord Mayor’s banquet, Rishi Sunak spoke warmly about his time working in hospitality in Southampton, joking that it set him up for a life at the top of politics, “juggling lots of plates, dealing with some tricky customers, making the sums add up”. He added, “The thing I’ve learned about being Prime Minister was the best training I ever had was working in a curry house”…

In an unfortunate metaphor for Rishi, however, Guido can reveal that just two weeks after he praised his experience as a waiter – his old workplace of Kuti’s Brasserie in Southampton – went into liquidation.

Earlier in November, Rishi’s former boss, Kuti Miah, told Australian TV that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep the restaurant running given current economic circumstances:

“Times are tough at [Rishi’s] old workplace… rising prices have made it difficult for this place to break even. In 42 years this is the hardest time I’ve gone through.”

Despite speaking warmly about his former employee – describing Rishi as “a very nice boy. Very, very talented” – it seems Rishi’s captaining of the economy could not save the restaurant. 

According to Company’s House, Joytun Bari Limited – which traded as Kuti’s Brasserie – applied for the appointment of liquidators on December 13, and three days later an ordinary resolution was made “That the Company be wound up voluntarily.”

Fingers crossed Rishi’s current bosses – the electorate – fare financially better in the future than his former bosses…