Old favourites remain closed

Customers have told of their sadness that Canterbury’s oldest pub and longest-running cafe remain shut.

The doors to the King’s Head in Wincheap and Panteli’s in Canterbury Lane have been closed for seven weeks and almost three months respectively.

The King’s Head shut at the end of May, blaming “circumstances beyond our control” on a notice posted on its door

This week, the landlord of the freehouse, Mark Gray, revealed the legacy of the pandemic had created financial pressures on the business which he was trying to address with his bank.

Mr Gray, who has run the 15th century inn for more than six years, said: “It’s been the knock-on effect after Covid which has left me having to renegotiate various things to allow me to get back open.

“It’s a combination of everything that’s gone on over the last two and a half years which has been quite extraordinary.

“It’s massively frustrating to have had to close but, essentially, it came down to the bank, because I didn’t have any access to credit.

“But I’m viewing it very much as a hiccup and hope to reopen in the next few weeks, and certainly before the end of the summer.”

Over its door, The King’s Head boasts that it’s “Canterbury’s oldest pub”.

It also operates as a B&B serves food in its dining room, The Thin Tart.

Customers have been expressing their disappointment at the closure on its Facebook page.

“That sucks, come back soon,” wrote Guy Cawdry.

“We will miss you... dogs won’t get their water and pork scratchings,” adds Catherine Garrard.

Meanwhile, Panteli’s - which opened in 1976 - is understood to have been shut since April, with its windows papered over and a sign up saying “closed for refurbishment”.

According to Companies House, members of the Panteli family have now all resigned their directorships of the business. A new sole director, Neville Taylor, was appointed in May this year.

Pat Moore, who manages the St Thomas’s Shop opposite, says the cafe is sorely missed.

“It was more than just a cafe but a social hub for people to meet,” she said.

“They served good, honest, simple food, which people still want, and the staff were always also so friendly and welcoming to everyone. Former customers are saying how much they miss the place so it’s very sad if they’ve gone for good.”

The Gazette has attempted to contact the Panteli family and Mr Taylor for a comment on the future of the cafe.

The King’s Head in Wincheap has been closed for seven weeks

The windows of Panteli’s in Canterbury Lane are papered over