Fraught cuisine as business leader quits while top chef launches revolt

Jane Wood last night revealed she will leave her role as chair of Essential Edinburgh to pursue other business interests.

And chief executive Tom Campbell is on sick leave, with his job being filled on an interim basis by former catering entrepreneur Liz McAreavey.

Ms Wood is expected to be replaced by Denzil Skinner, a former director of jewellers Hamilton & Inches.

The shake-up emerged hours after award-winning chef Tony Singh, who runs restaurant Oloroso, revealed he lobbied other city centre businesses to have Essential Edinburgh wound up.

He said he decided to act after taking legal advice and after a number of unsuccessful meetings with Mr Campbell and Ms Wood.

Insiders have told The Scotsman of "widespread concern" in the business community about the lack of high-profile projects Essential Edinburgh has produced since it was set up more than two years ago.

Councillors have raised concerns about the performance of the company - which receives a 72,500 grant from the local authority - after it emerged it made a 186,000 loss last year and was owed about 229,000 by creditors.

Essential Edinburgh spent more on organisational costs than on promotion last year.

The company confirmed yesterday that it had been forced to pursue legal actions against a number of businesses in the city centre which had not paid the funds due to the firm.

• Right of reply: We are delivering for levy payers; we will listen and we will learn

Essential Edinburgh is largely funded by levies from businesses within the area between Princes Street and George Street. It was created after a poll of business owners several years ago.

It was supposed to step up promotion of the city centre, help organise special events and campaigns, deliver extra services for businesses and create better links with the police.

However, Mr Singh, who has had to close one of his restaurants in the past 12 months because of his own financial troubles, said he had decided to stop paying the levy after failing to see any proper return for the 2,000 he was paying each year. Businesses will be polled again on whether to keep the company running, but not until 2013.

Mr Singh told The Scotsman: "I don't think I'm a lone voice. I'm sure there are other businesses out there who are not happy about the return they have had for their money.

"I am told by Essential Edinburgh that I have no choice but to pay the levy under the current legislation but I've decided I've had enough.

"There's no transparency about what they're spending money on. I'm not prepared to pay any more. I now want other businesses to get in touch if they're not happy."Mr Campbell, who has not been at work since mid-December, told The Scotsman: "There are 800 different shareholders in the company and Tony Singh is only one of them. I'm not aware of any other complaints."

Ms Wood, chief executive of the organisation Scottish Business in the Community, said she was planning to resign next week as she was too busy to remain in the post due to other commitments.