Alnwick restaurateur denied a farewell with customers after locks changed

Amir Ahmed had planned to say goodbye and thankyou to his best customers with a special event at the Bay Leaf Lounge on Clayport Street.

He explained: “Despite being aware of my intentions, the landlord was found changing the locks early morning for an unknown reason. Therefore, this meant we were unable to open for trade.

"We apologise for the last minute cancellation of bookings and loss of a huge opportunity to say goodbye to all those who have continuously supported us.”

He went on to explain his decision to close the Indian restaurant after four successful years in the town.

"We are closing due to a number of reasons, the primary one being my health changes, as well as the pandemic, travelling 70 miles a day from Newcastle, the cost of fuel and living coupled with the damage from the storms,” he said. “These reasons combined led to us having to make a hard decision.

“It was with a very heavy heart we had made the decision to close permanently. Although we did not want to close like this, we are extremely proud of ourselves for achieving all that we have, providing excellent food and customer service.

"We are forever grateful for all the support from our customers, Alnwick community as a whole and local business owners for welcoming us and look forward to maintaining these lifelong relationships. We hope our hard work reflects in your opinions and actions.”