Well-known restaurant closes for second time

The Peach Tree restaurant opened in Shrewsbury in 1997

One of Shrewsbury's most well-known restaurants has closed for the second time in two years.

The owners of the Peach Tree building, on Abbey Foregate, claimed that the company that ran the site had vacated the building, and alleged that money was owed to them and others.

The Shire Collection, which has run a number of other venues in the town, took over the business in 2022.

One of its directors, Ben Anderson-Halford, said on social media that the closure was due to an increase in rent, overheads, and the discovery of urgent building work.

He added that the company would resolve individual matters over the coming weeks, and had been in contact with the landlord about the closures.

The Peach Tree opened in 1997 but closed in 2022 after the business failed to recover following pandemic.

The Shire Collection stepped in, signing a lease in November 2022 for the restaurant, along with neighbouring venues, Havana Republic and Century.

The venue was name-checked in a 2012 film based on the comic book character Judge Dredd, in a nod to its creator John Wagner and 2000AD contributor Robbie Morrison, who both hail from Shrewsbury.