"This is the toughest time I have experienced in my career" – Burnley restaurants prep for much-anticipated return

For many owners, the past year has been the most turbulent of their culinary careers with never-ending restrictions and severe financial uncertainty compounded by months spent seeing their prized restaurants empty.

Usha head chef Ibby Ali whose restaurant celebrates its 20th anniversary in February said this had been by far his toughest ever period.

"Every day it went from worse to worse. Now I don't even think about what happened last year, I'm just concentrating on May 17th when we can open up and just forget the last year.

"I just want to scratch it off to be honest. It's just been so frustrating. Monday we will open up and take it from there. We are ready and raring to go. We just need our customers back in and enjoying themselves."

Ibby, who spent part of lockdown delivering meals free of charge to vulnerable people across the town, said it had been the support of his regulars that had kept him going through lockdown.

"I look forward to the weekend rush which we don't have anymore. I've been sitting at a table working on dishes for when we re-open.