Persian restaurant a first for county

A historic restaurant which has lain empty for years is poised to reopen as Shropshire's first Persian restaurant following a £50,000 refit, it emerged today.

The Country Friends Restaurant, a black and white 13th century timber-framed property on the A49 in Dorrington, near Shrewsbury, is to relaunch next month as Country Friends Persian Cafe.

The opening will also create four full-time posts for chefs and waiters plus a handful of part-time roles for extra weekend staff.

The former Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council had approved plans to turn the building into two properties but owners have instead leased the restaurant to Dr Syed Haider, from Shrewsbury.

Dr Haider, an experienced chef, said today: "I'm behind the reopening and we are doing it up at the moment. We will be doing Persian food for the first time in Shropshire.

"We aren't changing the name much either as we didn't want to alienate local people who already knew it as Country Friends by calling it something like Taj Mahal.

"It's known all over the internet under that name so we are just adding to it.

"We have leased the building from the owners but are looking to buy it next year if it works out."

The restaurant will cater for about 70 diners and also offer north Indian cuisine.

It will open for trade in early August.