MALDON’S longest established Chinese takeaway and restaurant is set to reopen after expanding.

House of Delight, in High Street, has doubled in size after owner Eddie Cheung bought the neighbouring unit.

It means he can now offer 60 covers – double what he could previously.

Another three jobs have also been created by the expansion.

Established more than 46 years ago, the restaurant was one of the first in the UK when it was opened by the Eddie’s father.

In 1991, Eddie took over the running of the business with his family.

He said: “Since I took House of Delight on from my father, I’ve always thought about putting my mark on the business.

“It’s always played on my mind that we should have more tables and it seemed like a good time to extend as the town is growing and there are more houses planned for the area.

“The work will mean that our traditional restaurant is moving with the times and will make it more spacious and comfortable.”

The expansion was made possible with a loan from Natwest.

NatWest Relationship Manager, Steve Mayhew, said: “On a personal note, I’m a big fan of House of Delight and I know it’s been a landmark in Maldon for many decades. We were delighted to help extend this popular eatery and wish Eddie and his team all the best for this exciting new chapter in the restaurant’s history.”

The takeaway has remained open throughout the building work and the restaurant is expected to re-open this week.