Operation Cobra has ceased. The takeaway and delivery service launched five days ago by Surbiton restaurateur Sam Berry to feed stay-at-home customers during the coronavirus crisis came to an end yesterday following the PM’s address to the nation on Monday night.

“We have made the difficult decision to close down our three beloved restaurants until further notice,” said Sam. “This will include takeaways. Operation Cobra is now closed – we tried our best.”

Sam, who runs Italian neighbourhood restaurant Cento Uno and buzzy, upmarket eatery No97 nextdoor in Maple Road, plus One One Four in Teddington, had been amazed at the response by Surbitonians who had loved the idea of his takeaway food and gin menu – so much so that they were phoning through 200 orders a day!

However despite the success of Operation Cobra, Sam decided to call time on the takeaways.

“Keeping our amazing team and others safe is our number one priority,” he said. “We can’t quite believe it but we know that we are not the only people in this situation. We’re all in this together!”

Sam promised that his team would be back stronger than ever.

“We have fought to build this business up and nothing will ever stop that. This is not a holiday for us – although we need one! This is a time for all of us to reflect, stay safe, and look to the future.”

Sam urged everyone to keep an eye on the restaurants’ social media accounts for updates and new ideas that the team is working on.