In pictures: How Peterborough's food and drink scene changed in 2024

We have sadly said goodbye to some well-known places but have seen others given a new lease of life in addition to welcoming some exciting new ones.

The year started on a sad note in the city centre when Salamis Greek Taverna in Broadway closed for good after more than 30 years, with owner Milo Zenelaj citing the spiralling costs affecting the hospitality industry.

The last pub in Newborough, The Bull, also closed unexpectedly in February but, happily has since reopened under new stewardship, much to the delight of villagers.

April unfortunately saw the end of the road for Afro-Caribbean independent EMBE in Cowgate after five years, with chef Nick Rutta – a familiar face in the city for the last two decades – going mobile with his Embe2Go van.

Finally some good news, with the exciting new cocktail and wine bar The Lancaster Lounge opening in Yaxley in April (Dominic Ricciardi reinvigorating the old Lancaster Club) and the following month The Lime Tree in Paston Lane, Peterborough, welcomed customers old and new after a short closure and major refurbishment.

The interior refit people were also busy in Market Deeping, with the historic Bull in Market Deeping reopening after refurbishment in June, thanks to the efforts of Gail Demaine and husband Alan Spratley, who added it to their hospitality portfolio.

July saw Whitbread pull the plug on the Paul Pry at Walton which had fed generations of Peterborough folk down the years; the Golden Pheasant at Etton was taken over by a couple of locals who put a new chef in the kictehn; and the historic city centre Bull Hotel, in Westgate, saw its bar area undergo a stunning £1m refurbishment.

August saw Bretton’s Coopers Arms benefit from a £500,000 renovation – and a new mother and daughter team (Sharon and Emma) running the place – while there were new people taking charge at The Millstone in Barnack.

Cowgate’s Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe closed suddenly in September, after eight years, although there was a silver lining with Taste of Thailand moving into the building earlier this month.

And kickstarting the good times down by the river on Fletton Quays, The Shed tap room and deli burst on to the scene in October.

Finally big changes at the Nepalese and Indian restaurant Gurkha Durbaar in Broadway last month. The place has been transformed into a nightclub – Velvet Panache – which opened last weekend.

Looking ahead to what 2025 has in store, Nepalese and Indian cuisine restaurant and bar Kathmandu Lounge is expected to open in Church Street in January, followed, across Cathedral Square, by popular Mexican-inspired food brand Taco Bell. And plans are in the pipeline for a second Blind Tiger bar, in Ham Lane near Ferry Meadows.