Westcliff Prowse restaurant forced to close after flood

Prowse, on Shorefield Road above the arches, only opened its doors six months ago and has been a huge hit ever since specialising in a mix of British and Turkish cuisine.

However, the owners have now been forced to rip out the entire restaurant after it was severely flooded due to a burst pipe.

Owner, Cat Prowse, fears the repairs will cost roughly £40,000 and is facing a race against time to re-open this Saturday and get back to business.

Damage - the owners have been forced to rip out the entire restaurant (Image: Prowse)

Cat said: “We are devastated.

“We have found out it was a historic problem. The flooding was a pipe upstairs and because the building is so old, all the pipes need changing and the floor excavating.

“It is so hard as a new business.

“The main restaurant floor, toilets, and kitchen were flooded. All the flooring has had to be ripped up as the beams were rotten.

“As you can imagine it is a very stressful time.

“The only positive thing is that when we removed a wall, we found a beautiful old fireplace that had been boxed up, so we are keeping it.”

The restaurant, which replaced the former Flying Pasta, is now undergoing major repair work and bosses are confident it will re-open on Saturday.

Family-run - Owner Cetin and nephew Alfie enjoy their first six months (Image: Prowse)

Despite the devastation, Cat is using it as an opportunity to give the restaurant a “facelift” with new tables, chairs and flooring.

Cat also issued a heartfelt thank you to customers who have been “incredibly supportive” since the restaurant opened last August.

The family were also touched after a customer, who is a local builder, offered his spare time to help with any repairs.

Cat added: “It has been so positive and gone from strength to strength.

“It has been long hours but so worth it.

“We will be open for a relaunch on Saturday, and we would love people to come down and support us.

“The restaurant will have had a facelift, new tables and chairs, new flooring and bathrooms too.”

Prowse serves various seafood dishes, steaks, as well as Turkish specialities. with an emphasis on barbecue grill.

The restaurant is open seven days a week from 12pm to 11pm.