A NEW takeaway business has launched, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Tiger Thai is a collaboration between city restaurateur Shah Abdul and Ian Tait, at the Roebuck Inn on Stockbridge Road in Fulflood.

They are based at the kitchen at the pub offering a delivery service for customers within a three-mile radius.

For several years Mr Abdul ran the highly-regarded Manow Thai on St George's Street.

Mr Tait, a long-serving city councillor until last year, said: "Shah and I are very confident that it will be a success and the figures so far seem to support this view.

"Shah and I are extremely close friends and think alike, off the wall at times, but we are both passionate about what we do."

Mr Tait was a potential Conservative candidate for future city council elections but resigned from the party over allegedly Islamophobic tweets linked to city councillor Judith Clementson.

Both men were born and raised in the city, and Mr Tait said the business would support local charities including Relate, Carroll Centre, Winchester Mediation Service, Winchester and Andover Carers.

He explained: "My own business has sadly benefited from the Covid-19 crisis so I do not wish to benefit personally from Tiger Thai.

"Although initially we will not be a 100 per cent sustainable business, the model calls for this as we are determined to put back more than we take out so we will be keen to ensure this happens. We are not naïve enough to think this is easy however the coronavirus has taught me a lot about this world, life and people and what’s important."