How one man's kitchen became home to Burton Latimer's hottest takeaway

We've all probably eaten a few more takeaways than usual since the Covid pandemic began.

But not many of us have opened one - and that's exactly what one Burton Latimer man did from his own kitchen.

Royal Thai Kitchen, which opened in September, is doing a roaring trade with people stuck at home and looking for a tasty treat.

Yet it doesn't operate from a commercial unit, with everything made from scratch at owner Matthew Hextall's home with his Thai friends Dara and Saifon.

Matthew first thought about opening a takeaway from home after a friend who had lost their job did the same.

After a couple of months of preparation, he set up a Facebook page to operate from and it's flown ever since.

The 46-year-old said: "Because the pubs and restaurants have been closed people have been looking for an alternative.

"They want something new and because of that we've grown and grown."

Unlike most takeaways you can't go and pick the food up from where it's cooked, with a collection point in Burton Latimer and a new collection point in Corby after a recent expansion.

The takeaway, which only opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, also delivers across the Burton Latimer and Kettering area. Like all takeaways, their kitchen was inspected by Kettering Council who awarded a five-star rating.

Royal Thai Kitchen has won rave reviews and proved so popular it sold out of slots for its Valentine's menu this weekend.

Popular dishes on their set menu for two offering, which changes every week, include their curries, chicken satay and spring rolls.

And they're made using recipes Dara, from Nakhon Sawan, and Saifon, from Sa Kaeo, brought over from their home country.

Matthew said: "You see a lot of restaurants buying in frozen spring rolls, frozen this, frozen that.

"Everything we sell is handmade and fresh, using authentic ingredients imported from Thailand and prepared in a kitchen at home."