The Beefeater steakhouse chain, a fixture of British high streets and roadsides since the 1970s, is closing down, putting up to 3,800 people out of work. The closure marks the end of a brand that once symbolised family dining out for a generation, having been squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis and Labour's recent tax rises, alongside years of declining reputation for mediocre food.

At its peak in the 1990s, Beefeater served around 19 million meals a year and was even the largest steakhouse operator in what was then West Germany. The Livingston branch near Edinburgh, one of the last to shut, illustrates the brand's decline, with its signage already dismantled and menu items such as gammon steak unavailable ahead of closure. While the restaurant chain disappears, the Beefeater name persists elsewhere, notably in the Tower of London's Yeoman Warders and the well-known gin brand.