Scruffy kebab shop gets £49,000 grant for posh make-over
Lottery-funded grant was used to restore an original 17th century shop front at Bedford takeaway
A RUN-down kebab shop has been turned all posh with a £49,000 heritage grant.
The scruffy takeaway qualified as it is housed in a Grade II listed building in an historic high street.
The grant was used to restore an original 17th century shop front at Millennium Kebabs.
The High Street in Bedford dates from late-Saxon times and is designated an “at risk” conservation area.
Owner Ali Hashemi, 26, said: “We wanted to get rid of the cracked, broken look of the shop so it would fit in with the other nice-looking shops.
“Since we finished we’ve seen a ten per cent surge in business.
“People say it looks so much nicer.”
Other shops are being revamped after the National Lottery-funded Townscape Heritage Initiative granted Bedford £897,100.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “These restored shop fronts look fantastic.”
A spokesman for The Heritage Lottery Fund said: “This investment helps support local authorities and residents to transform their towns, making essential improvements and repairs that will encourage local businesses and visitors.”