Nelsons Diner in Kennet Centre enters into liquidation

The retro American-style restaurant forced to close amid pipe and sewage problems

NELSONS Diner in the Kennet Shopping centre has formally entered into liquidation, its managing director has confirmed.

The retro American-style restaurant ceased trading a month ago after experiencing extensive “periodic leaks” with its pipes.

Despite efforts to fix the leaks, in February this year a main pipe in the back wall of the restaurant burst, which resulted in a £1,200 cost to fix.

Shelley Francis, the store’s managing director, told the NWN that the store had been left with no option but to enter into liquidation – which it did yesterday, Thursday, July 5.

On Sunday, June 3 – the week in which the store closed – Mrs Francis said the store was experiencing no less than six leaks and that sewage had begun leaking onto the restaurant floor.

Mrs Francis said: “Every time we fixed one pipe, it would burst somewhere else.

“Water was gushing out of the walls. We didn’t know what to do.

“We moved everything out and Environmental Health confirmed that we would be breaking the law if we continued trading.”

Mrs Francis added that the company’s insurance would not cover the costs to fix the pipework, which falls under building insurance.

She added: “Not only have we lost our business, we have lost all our savings.”

The retro 1950s American-style restaurant opened its branch in the Kennet Shopping centre in December 2015, within the Vue cinema section of the mall.

The restaurant won the Fast/Casual category in the 2017 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, a globally-recognised competition.

See next week’s Newbury Weekly News for more.