Award-winning restaurant Radhuni disappointed as 'rug was pulled at the 11th hour' in government decision to keep Midlothian in tier three

A multi award-winning Indian-Bangladesi restaurant in Midlothian which underwent renovations to adhere to Covid-19 safety measures earlier this year says that they feel ‘the rug was pulled from under’ them at short notice in tier u-turn.

Midlothian and East Lothian looked set to move down from tier three earlier this week but while East Lothian was given the go ahead, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that a recent rise in coronavirus cases in Midlothian meant that the area would remain in tier three – a blow for residents, but hospitality establishments in the area also.

Curry Restaurant of the Year Radhuni at Loanhead has already undergone major refurbishment, opening up their garden area earlier this year to serve food with social distancing in place for its army of loyal customers.

Upon hearing the news that Midlothian would move to tier 2, they were set to reopen, but urged diners from outside of the area in neighbouring tier three areas such as Edinburgh to stay away and ensure that they were adhering to the rules.

The restaurant felt that the decision made at 'the 11th hour' was a blow

Habibur Khan, managing partner said: “The 11th hour turnaround was a huge disappointment and another body blow to the already hard pressed local hospitality sector.

“Our team understands the reasoning behind the government’s move because we want to keep everyone safe during the pandemic but would have appreciated far earlier warning. We worked very hard to plan our re-opening but the rug was then pulled from under our feet at short notice, staff were let down and bookings had to be cancelled.

“The short term chopping and changing has been disheartening for our customers who had been looking forward to getting into the festive spirit at Radhuni in the lead-up to Christmas.

“It would be helpful if all the Lothians could be in the same tier because we should all be fighting this virus as one community. Having varying rules for different local authorities in a relatively small area makes it confusing for everybody.

Habibur Khan, Radhuni’s Managing Partner

“On the brighter side we’re now looking forward eagerly to making our customers’ festive season even more special when they visit us.”

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