Award-winning restaurant to close as it is ‘unfeasible to sustain standards’
A popular Co Tyrone restaurant is to close on April 16 as it has confirmed that it is no longer feasible to keep the business open.
The Red Pepper in Castlederg previously won industry accolades, including Best Customer Service in Ulster at the 2018 Irish Restaurant Awards.
Owner and chef, Colin McMenamin, a Local Food Hero for Tyrone at the 2023 awards, and his wife Ann Marie confirmed the closure.
A Facebook post read: “All things come to an end. With everything that has played out over the last few years it’s no longer feasible for us to sustain the restaurant to the standard we have set.
“It’s been 13 years and we have taken it as far as we can… it’s time for a new chapter.
“We would like to thank all of the lovely customers that have supported us over the years and every staff member that joined us along the way.”
The Main Street venue proved popular with its local community and beyond since it opened in 2010.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the restaurant joined forces with GAA volunteers to provide around 13,500 hot meals over a nine-week period in 2020, to the most vulnerable in the Castlederg, Agharan, Dregish, Killen areas and some further afield.
It is the latest in a string of NI hospitality venues to announce its closure, amidst the rising cost-of-living crisis and labour shortages.
The Italian Café Riva in Larne closed on April 8 and award-winning Bangor eatery The Boat House closed at the start of the month,
