Flagship electronics shop in Northampton closes down for good - and so does highly-rated restaurant next-door

A well-known retailer has closed down after years of trading in a prominent part of Northampton town centre – and so has a highly-rated restaurant next-door.

Bang and Olufsen has vacated its site on the corner of Derngate and Castilian Street after more than a decade.

The high-end electronics store had been a staple in the town but has now left an empty eyesore unit in the Cultural Quarter.

It is believed the site, which was a franchise set-up, closed down earlier this year.

Bang and Olufsen has been contacted for comment.

The site has recently been put on the rental market with prop-search.com

The unit next door to Bang and Olufsen, formerly Pjayz Kitchen, is also up for rent after it closed down at Christmas time.

Pjayz Kitchen, which had a 4.3 out of five-star rating on Google reviews, said it had to make ‘one of the most difficult professional decisions’ when closing.

They said: “Despite the Christmas atmosphere looking at our lives from every possible angle, we had to face an unequal opponent and make one of the most difficult professional decisions.

“We fought bravely, but the market and the economic situation are a difficult opponent and despite many attempts it does not want to negotiate with us.

"The situation in the market and the huge increase in the costs of running our restaurant recently has forced us to take the decision to close.

“Thank you darlings for three years of a culinary adventure together, we tried our best. Sometimes there were better days, sometimes worse, we don't want to remember that, but we'll write a little to justify who of us doesn't have them

“Thank you for your support, for presence, for loyalty - for everything.”

The prop-search spokeswoman says Pjayz Kitchen is under offer, with the rent at £20,000 per year.

St Giles Ale House also closed down in January after its energy costs increased by a whopping 400%.

A prominent developer who owns a lot of property in the town recently told this newspaper ‘at the moment, the town centre is a ghost town. Why would any business want to be in there?’

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