Babul’s considers bringing Barnard Castle takeaways back

Babul’s, on Market Place, stopped offering takeaways from September 14 after saying rising costs, pressure on its kitchen and abuse directed at staff had made the service increasingly difficult to operate.

But within days, the customer response made the restaurant’s team “stop and think”.

Babul’s said customers had emailed, messaged and commented about how important takeaways had become to them.

The restaurant said it heard from customers who had ordered for decades and families who made Babul’s part of birthdays, New Year’s Eve and other traditions.

Babul’s in Barnard Castle (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

It said messages from older people, customers with disabilities or health problems and carers showed that takeaways were essential, not just convenient.

In a statement, Babul’s said: “Since announcing the end of our takeaway service, the response has been far greater than we expected.

“We’ve read your comments, messages and emails, and some of the stories you’ve shared have genuinely moved us.

“We knew people enjoyed our takeaways. What we perhaps hadn’t fully appreciated was just how much the service means to some people, and the role it has played in their lives.”

The restaurant highlighted customer Malcolm Elsbury, who has launched a petition urging Babul’s to reconsider.

It added: “For some people, takeaway isn’t just about convenience; it’s the only realistic way they can continue enjoying Babul’s.

“Malcolm is one of those customers, and his story really brought that home to us. But he is far from the only person we’ve heard from.”

Babul’s stressed that the problems behind its original decision have not gone away.

The restaurant previously said online, phone and walk-in orders put kitchen and front-of-house staff under heavy pressure at busy times, risking delays for diners and takeaway customers.

It had also reported more rude and verbally abusive behaviour towards staff handling takeaway complaints.

But the business is asking whether a different model could bring takeaways back.

Customers have suggested a smaller menu, online ordering and payment, fixed collection slots, limited busy-period availability and higher prices if needed.

Babul’s said: “Perhaps the question isn’t simply: ‘Should Babul’s bring takeaways back?’

“Perhaps it’s: ‘Is there a better way of doing it?’

“If takeaway were to return, it couldn’t simply return exactly as before.”

The restaurant said limiting dishes and collection slots could control demand, with orders stopping when capacity was reached.

It added: “But if those changes allowed us to offer takeaway again without compromising our restaurant, our standards or our team… would you support it?”

Mr Elsbury’s “Bring Babul’s Takeaways Back!” petition says customers understand the pressures on the independent business and are not demanding the old system back unchanged.

Instead, it suggests online-only ordering, fixed collection slots, a smaller menu, higher prices, selected takeaway times and minimum orders.

The petition says older residents, disabled people, carers and families with young children can find eating out difficult.

It also says people in rural communities around Barnard Castle have fewer alternatives for food.

Mr Elsbury wrote: “We are not demanding that the old takeaway system simply comes back unchanged. We are asking for a conversation.

“We are asking whether there is a middle ground that protects the restaurant, protects its staff and still allows an important service to remain available to the community.”

When Babul’s announced the end of takeaways, it left open a return if a reliable, financially sustainable model could be found.

The restaurant has urged customers to sign the petition and suggest how a revised service could work.

It said: “Nothing about the challenges we originally spoke about has changed, but your feedback has made us think differently about how we might solve them.

“Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contact us and share their story.

“We’re listening.”