Oldest curry house in Ipswich closes and is put up for sale

The oldest curry house in Ipswich has shut its doors and the building is up for sale after nearly 60 years of bringing food from the Indian sub-continent to Suffolk.

The Taj Mahal in Norwich Road opened in 1964 and has been trading ever since.

However its owner has now put the building up for sale after its last leaseholder pulled out.

Owner Syed Robbani operated the restaurant for many years - and hosted a Golden Jubilee celebration of it in 2014 when the guest of honour was then mayor Bill Quinton.

Mayor Bill Quinton at the Taj Mahal celebrattion night, and it was also his birthday (Image: Archant)

At the time of the celebration, the Taj Mahal was praised for being one of the pioneering businesses that helped to create the multicultural Ipswich that grew up in the 1960s and 70s.

Mr Robbani leased the business to another operator in 2016 - but said the lease had now expired and there was no one to take over the running of the business.

He said: "My family did not want to take it over so we have put it up for sale. We have had some interest in the building from people who want to develop the site but we will have to see what happens there."

As well as the restaurant, the building includes a two-bedroomed flat with a rear entrance.

The Taj Mahal in 2014. (Image: Archant)

When the Taj Mahal opened in 1964 curry houses were very rare - and it is believed that it may have been the first to open in East Anglia.

It was certainly a pioneer in Ipswich in the 1960s - and paved the way for the growth in the number of curry houses in the town during the 1970s and 1980s.

Its closure will leave a gap in Norwich Road which has become well-known for its multi-cultural nature.

But the street remains home to one of the best-known curry houses in Ipswich, The Maharani which is just a couple of doors away from the Taj Mahal.