New dessert-only restaurant opens in Melton

More than 200 people visited Mother Hubbard’s Dessert Cupboard as it opened its doors for the first time on Saturday.

They were eager to be first to try the various ice creams, cookie doughs, waffles, pancakes and crepes on the menu at the Market Place eaterie.

Dav Rana, one of the directors, told the Melton Times: “We were very busy on opening day, more than even we expected.

“There used to be an ice cream van visiting the town which sold cookies and ice creams and people were paying almost the same prices as we charge so that was where we got the idea from.

“But we have upped the quality with everything and we think we are going to be really popular with people.”

The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 11am until 11pm, and Dav said they are hoping this will be the first of a series of branded eateries in different parts of the country.

The name comes from the mum of operations manager Ben Hubbard, who is also Dav’s best friend.

“We are already very popular with families and we have a very inclusive culture - for instance, we heard about a young man in Melton who had been bullied so we invited him in for a free meal which he enjoyed,” he said.

The restaurant, which is occupying the former LOROS charity shop unit, was due to have opened last summer but damp problems forced them to put it off for six months.

Dav added: “We wanted to open last July or August but it is a grade two listed building and we found rising damp in the back parts.

“We lost a lot of money delaying the opening but food hygiene is very important to us and we didn’t want to move any of our equipment or any food into the building until the problem had been rectified.”