Food lovers will be able to keep getting top dishes from a recently closed restaurant as it continues through event catering.

After Peppermill Mediterranean restaurant in Chorleywood closed its doors, the event catering arm of the business, Peppermill Productions, will be able to continue thanks to loyal local customers.

The Chorleywood restaurant closed its doors last week after 50 years of serving the community having only moved to a new location at Chorleywood Golf Club in the last few years. 

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Family business owner Andre Vazquez, 53, spoke about how independent businesses have needed to adapt.

Watford Observer: Catering by Peppermill productionsCatering by Peppermill productions

Andre said: “I think that’s the commercial situation that we are all in.

“It’s nigh on impossible to operate an independent shop competing against multinational or national companies.

“Our events business is going to have to adapt without the restaurant in certain regards, but we already do a lot of events in people’s homes or outside with barbeques.”

Over five decades, the Peppermill managed to build up a loyal customer base which Andre hopes will continue to feed into the catering business.

Watford Observer: 'Thank you' notes received by Peppermill Productions'Thank you' notes received by Peppermill Productions

Andre added: “We have a core group of customers that use our catering service, and they recommend it to others who recommend it to more people, and it goes on from there.”

“I hope it’s because we have always given back and tried to involve ourselves in the community as well as that we have always provided a nice service.

“When someone has a wedding it’s a major thing, so I take that seriously and make sure we do a good job.

“We have done lots of charity events over the years.

Watford Observer: Andre Vazquez outside the PeppermillAndre Vazquez outside the Peppermill

“These things have a knock-on effect and we’ve become firm friends with customers over the years through the catering.”

The site on New Parade, where the business had been before the move to the golf club, has been taken over by another fixture of the village community, Chorleywood Bookshop.

Andre said: “The bookshop celebrated their 50-year anniversary on Thursday, and we provided the food and canopies for that.

“They are massive in the community as well and we do lots of work with Cheryl and Martin from the bookshop.”