Britain’s rural outpost of private members club Soho House, whose customers have included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has been hit by a fire in the establishment’s main venue in the crucial run-up to Christmas. A source told The Daily Beast that the fire started in a wood-fired pizza oven connected to a chimney in the venue’s so-called Main Barn, the central restaurant that typically serves hundreds of diners a day. While the Main Barn remained open for drinks, food service was suspended in that location with reservations moved to another temporary event space, the source said. The club’s clientele include Jeremy Clarkson, David Cameron and David and Victoria Beckham, who have a house nearby. Adding to the misery for the club’s exclusive clientele, the club’s fancy Asian restaurant, Pen Yeng, was hit by flooding two weeks ago and has also relocated to another space. One member told The Daily Beast the club typically hosts hundreds of people for Christmas Day meals at prices of up to $200 a head. A spokesperson told The Daily Beast: “There was a small, contained kitchen chimney fire but member and guest experience is not affected with all eating and drinking spaces open including Pen Yen.”
