Wellingborough takeaway set to re-open in time for Christmas, but needs local support to stay afloat

Le Spice Merchant, a restaurant and takeaway in Farm Road, Wellingborough, closed its doors in September, citing rising upkeep costs as the reason for its departure from the town, but it is now set to welcome customers once again.

The re-opening follows the succeeding business, Namastey Wellingborough, vacating the premises.

Owner of Le Spice Merchant, Maruf Ali, is hoping to bring the old establishment back with a start date unconfirmed but service hoping to resume ‘maybe the end of this month or next month, but definitely before Christmas.’

He said: “There’s a part of me that’s left inside the business that wants me to come back.

“I’m 26 now, I’ve been there since I was 19, it took me years to build up this business.

“I’ve lost so much hair and had so many headaches, I was thinking to myself ‘should I do it again, or not?’”

Maruf ultimately decided to begin the venture again, but insisted that in order for it to survive, and hopefully thrive, Le Spice Merchant needs to be strongly supported to ensure it can stay in its £2,000 per month premises.

He said: “Business was good, but it wasn’t great, but if I come back and the local people support me, why should a business stay closed?

“If I get support from the local public I don’t think I’ll close it again and I can keep it as it is.”

Most of the Le Spice Merchant’s assets remained, so the hope is for a seamless transition back to trading, but Maruf insists it will take ‘at least a couple of months’ to put things back to the way they were before the restaurant closed.

He is also in the process of opening a business in Daventry, which is still currently being refurbished at great personal cost.

In Wellingborough this year Le Spice Merchant is planning to uphold a tradition of helping disadvantaged people in the local area by selflessly donating food to those in need during the Christmas season. The restaurant began doing this during the pandemic, and Maruf is eager to replicate the effort once again when the restaurant is operational.

He added: “Every Christmas after lockdown we started giving meals out to those who need it.

“If any customers come inside and say ‘I don’t have the money’ we’ve always been there to help them.”