First look inside world’s biggest curry house as abandoned ‘Great Pyramid of Britain’ is transformed into 360-seat dine
PICTURES have revealed the inside of the world's biggest curry house built in an abandoned "Great Pyramid of Britain" for the first time.
The new images show the lavish interior of the giant restaurant, which is contained within a steel-framed pyramid near the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester.
The curry house, which will be operated by chain Royal Nawaab, is expected to serve more than 1,000 people at a time across multiple floors when it opens, following a £15 million redevelopment of the site.
Previously occupied by Co-operative Bank until 2017, the venue had been dubbed The Great Pyramid of Stockport by Manchester spoken word musician Antony Szmierek.
The stunning restaurant has reportedly already held its debut, hosting a wedding last weekend, and is set to open to the public after several more weeks of work.
Inside, the multi-floor dining space is adorned with gold-coloured furnishings and bright artwork along the walls.
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Stunning lights in an assortment of shapes and sizes dangle from the ceiling in the atrium of the structure, which was once dubbed the "eighth wonder of the world".
Littered across the 86,000 sq ft site are a number of swish chairs and sofas, all designed to add an extra luxury feel to the venue.
The ground floor is set to become a 360-seat buffet restaurant with a banquet hall, while up to 680 people could also be served on the first floor, according to plans.
On upper floors, there will also be space for more dining rooms, an office, and storage.
A spokesman for the company said customers could look forward to "a level of luxury and uniqueness never before witnessed".
Local residents have also told of their "excitement" of being able to eat in such "glamorous" surroundings.
Mum-of-two Sandra Holmes, 37, said: "It's very exciting to have this on our doorstep.
"It looks stunning - a real palace
"I love Indian food and it will be a great night out and feel very special - like eating in a palace.
"I can't wait - mind you, I might have to save up my pennies first."
Royal Nawaab's founder, Mahboob Hussain, said he was "thrilled" to bring its brand to an "iconic symbol of Stockport", but admitted the building's unique shape has posed some challenges.
In March, he said: “I liked taking on this challenge and after working on a historical building in London.
"I'll be proud to have this as a Royal Nawaab.
"There were a lot of challenges we came across because it's a different shape of a building, but it's interesting.
"That's why it's called iconic and is a historical building.
"We've had some issues but we've resolved them, and now we're nearly there."
The chain previously owned My Nawaab, one of the world’s largest curry houses, with a capacity of 1,000, in nearby Levenshulme.
It also runs 11 restaurants across Europe and said it expects to create about 100 full-time jobs and about the same number of part-time roles.
The pyramid in which the new restaurant will be housed was built in 1992 in an area now known as Kings Valley, which had a number of other pyramids originally planned for construction.
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Stockport Council planning committee member Mark Jones once described the pyramid as "one of the most iconic buildings in Stockport".
The structure, visible from the M60, had been abandoned since 2018 but the new owners hope it will open soon to start serving customers.