Curry shop owner looks to India

A restaurant owner in Leicester says he is leaving the city's Golden Mile and moving to India because of economic uncertainty and high prices.

Manjit Pabla, who owns Friends Tandoori, is moving to Delhi to start a food business there.

He has run his business on Belgrave Road for 26 years.

But the owner of another Indian restaurant on the street, Mala Narendra, said her firm is "doing fine" despite rising prices.

Chef shortage

High food costs are among the factors that have convinced Mr Pabla to leave.

"What I have seen is a change in the price we pay for basic staples that we use in the restaurant - things like rice, wheat and cooking oil," Mr Pabla said.

He is also having difficulties in finding qualified chefs for his restaurant.

Ms Narenda, who runs Bobby's Vegetarian Restaurant, agrees the rising costs of ingredients are "a real headache".

"The price of rice and flour and oil is really bad. We try not to increase our prices, but with difficulty."

She added the restaurant, which has been run by her family for 32 years, faces stiff competition but she remains "very optimistic".

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