A longstanding Indian restaurant has shut its doors for the last time amid new competition and cost-of-living challenges. The Curry Leaf Cafe in Ship Street, Brighton, served its last customers on Sunday evening, marking the end of a ten-year-long business venture which shook up the city's Indian offer when it first opened. But new chain competitors moving in nearby left the owners with no option but to shut up shop and call in administrators.
Co-founders Euan and Kanthi Kiran Thamma celebrating a silver best newcomer award in the Brighton Food and Drink Awards 2014 (Image: Euan Sey) Co-owner Euan Sey told The Argus: "Like all hospitality businesses, we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs in recent years. When we launched in 2014 the Indian street food sector was in its infancy and we’re proud to have been the first to combine that exciting dining style with a full-scale craft beer offering. "We’ve battled hard these past few years to keep our team in jobs and the curry and craft beer flowing to customers.
" Read more: Curry Leaf Cafe rockets to top of the restaurant charts From struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic to chain restaurants like Mowgli and Dishoom also serving informal Indian meals just minutes away, Euan said the challenges his business faced in recent years were not sustainable. The Curry Leaf brand once had several locations across Brighton but had to downscale during the pandemic to keep the business afloat. Euan added: "The downturn in trade due to .