Fakenham Racecourse welcomes new Punjabi Cuisine Restaurant at launch of National Hunt season

Visitors who attend the season opener at Fakenham Racecourse next week will be able to enjoy the flavours of India at a new restaurant.

The new Punjabi Cuisine Restaurant will be run on race days by Fakenham couple Rajan and Rita Verma, who will being serving the finest cuisine from the Punjab region of India, which is where their families originate.

The couple already have an established food business, Currylicious, which they set up in 2017 after discovering there was a gap in the market for unique home-cooked Indian food with a difference.

So far, the business has mainly focused on supplying the retail sector, cooking for private parties and events and a mobile catering unit attending farmers’ and local markets.

Their restaurant in the course enclosure overlooking the parade ring replaces Weston’s Seafood Restaurant, which finished in June, when owner Willie Weston decided to semi retire.

David Hunter, chief executive of Fakenham Racecourse said: "Willie and his family have provided an outstanding sea food restaurant at Fakenham Races for many years, for which we are very grateful.

"On his retirement, we had the opportunity to work with an alternative local catering business and we felt that a change might be appreciated.

"It will be a real joy to work with Raj and Rita and I know they will provide a local, friendly, seasonal and fun service which will produce the very best of Punjab flavoured food."

Rajan said: “We have worked closely with the racecourse to completely redesign and redecorate the restaurant and bar to give it a fresh, upbeat feel and we are very excited and thoroughly looking forward to welcoming diners at the race meeting next Friday.

"We pride ourselves on the ethos that all our food is home cooked, locally sourced and the recipes have been handed down the generations.

"The result is an infusion of delicate spices to bring you the real taste of India without overbearing heat or mouth burning of the pallet. Further to this, we have focused on the healthy aspect of Indian cooking and all our curries are cooked in their natural juices without any added fat such as ghee, butter or oil.”

The people from the Punjab mainly eat vegetarian dishes and meat is only eaten during special occasions, but the menu at Fakenham Races will offer meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes to suit all tastes.

Racegoers will also be able to buy food to take away and the newly refurbished Parade Ring Bar will be available for diners and racegoers alike.

The meeting on Friday, October 18, will launch the National Hunt season on Sky Sport Racing.

To book a table at the Punjabi Cuisine Restaurant call 07957 402402 or email sales@currylicious.co.uk