A POPULAR restaurant in Monmouthshire has announced that it is closing its doors for good.

The Pepper Mill in Chepstow has - like so many hospitality businesses, had a turbulent few years, mainly due to the impact of the covid pandemic.

During this time, the popular venue, located in Chepstow High Street, adapted its methods, in a bid to get their tasty food to customers.

Takeaway and home delivery services were launched and these are understood to have thrived.

And now, bosses at The Pepper Mill have confirmed that they will be closing their dine-in restaurant “permanently”.

Continuing, they revealed that they are moving their kitchen to a new premises, and, once up and running, will continue to offer delivery and takeaway service.

From Wednesday, March 16, The Pepper Mill will be based out of The Chepstow Club, it has been confirmed.

How did we get here?

No official reason has been given as to why the dine-in restaurant has closed, but it certainly leaves a hole in the city centre.

A popular destination for diners, it has enjoyed a strong reputation in the years that it has been open for business.

If its popularity was in any doubt, the scores on the doors speak for themselves.

The Pepper Mill is currently ranked as the sixth best restaurant in Chepstow, according to Tripadvisor reviews.

A total of 458 reviewers have scored the restaurant 4.5 stars on average, with 243 of these scoring a full five stars.

During the covid pandemic, the restaurant was forced to close, as a result of the lockdown restrictions put in place.

Just months after they were able to reopen, there was further disruption, when a positive covid case among the staff closed the premises for a further two weeks.

Statement from the restaurant in full

Confirming the closure of their dine-in establishment, a representative from The Pepper Mill said: “To all our customers. We have taken the decision to close permanently for Dine-in and we will open for Takeaways/Deliveries only.

“Going forward, our kitchen team will be operating from The Chepstow Club and we will re-open on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 for deliveries.

“We do hope that you will continue to support us and would like to thank all our customers for your support over the years. Thank you.”