ONE of Pembrokeshire's leading restaurants has closed its doors after 17 years.
The Blue Ball in Tenby's Upper Frog Street has been 'a bastion of high quality food, fun and laughter', said owners Mel Fairman and Debs Neale.
So it was to the surprise of the town that Mel and Debs announced at the end of last month that the Blue Ball had shut for the last time.
In a website message to customers, they said: "We are immensely proud of what we have achieved over these 17 years, we have nurtured and grown the Blue Ball family, in which lasting relationships have been formed between us, our amazing staff and wonderful customers.
"The restaurant will reopen in a few weeks as Il Caminetto and we hope you will join us in wishing the new proprietors success and good luck, hopefully they will gain a name and great following in the beautiful town of Tenby.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, to each and every one of you that made our dream come through in 2005 and have continued supporting us over these years.
"We will see you all again soon, somewhere!!!"
The restaurant won rave customer eviews on TripAdvisor, where it was constantly ranked in the top five restaurants in Tenby.
One recent visitor commented: "It was literally one of the best overall dining experiences we have ever had."
Since the closure announcement, Mel and Debs said they felt 'very humbled and very proud' at the many supportive comments and messages they had received.
"It realy has been overwhelming," they admitted in a Facebook post, adding: "We will take time to adjust and relax and then think what's next."
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