MONTHS after a pub landlord opened an Indian restaurant on the premises, he has announced he will be closing it.

Sunny Singh, who runs the Royal Oak in Presteigne, introduced a menu featuring exclusively Indian cuisine in February this year, after he and wife Kath Kaur asked locals what type of food the town was missing.

The overwhelming response was Indian and the new restaurant opened to a full house on February 6.

However, a little over three months into the new venture, the pub announced on Sunday (May 27) that the new restaurant will close on June 3 as the owners “have no choice”.

“Hi guys. Not the post we're wanting to make but due to unforeseen circumstances we have no choice,” read a post that appeared on the pub’s Facebook page on Sunday evening.

“As of the 3rd June, we will be closing the restaurant/takeaway and Indian kitchen. We will only be serving basket meals (sausage, nuggets, scampi, burgers and pizzas).

“The pub will still be open, the bar will stay the same. We hope you understand, thank you for the continued support.”

The couple took over the High Street pub since March 2022. It was new territory, as they had previously run a fish and chip shop in nearby Knighton for the previous 16 years.

Sunny and Kath though they needed to do something different, especially with the hospitality sector still facing issues since emerging from the pandemic.

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Sunny didn’t want to bring a chippy to Presteigne as it already has one, which is where the idea to open the Royal Oak Indian restaurant was born.

“We wanted to do something different, something that someone else wasn’t doing,” Sunny told us in March.

“We asked locals what they wanted and the overwhelming response was, they wanted an Indian, as there’s not really one locally. The closest Indian restaurant is in Kington.

“I didn’t want to open a fish and chip shop here because there’s already one. I really didn’t want to steal someone else’s living.

“But there’s no Indian restaurant or takeaway here so it’s something Presteigne needs.”

County Times: A little over three months after opening an Indian restaurant at the pub, the Royal Oak says the new restaurant will close on June 3. A little over three months after opening an Indian restaurant at the pub, the Royal Oak says the new restaurant will close on June 3. (Image: Getty Images)

Sunny alluded to the rising costs of energy bills being a concern, but stated that the success of the restaurant’s early months had boded well, with plenty of support from locals.

The pub is open every day from 3-10pm, with the restaurant open from 5-9pm Tuesday to Sunday (booking is advised to avoid disappointment).

To visit the new restaurant or to book a meal in the remaining weeks of operating, call in or ring 01544 260842, email skyjaylimited@gmail.com, visit their website at royaloak-presteigne.co.uk or check out the Royal Oak Presteigne Facebook page.