A couple who poured their heart and soul into their Spanish restaurant broke the hearts of locals when they announced they would be serving up their last plates of paella 32 years to the day after first opening. 

We are of course talking about Don Pepe which owners Jose and Maria Millan opened with a friend in Norwich more than three decades ago.

It welcomed guests in St Benedicts Street for years, serving up Spanish cuisine with a smile to customers that the restaurant called "family".

Don Pepe in St Benedict's Street closed its doors in 2019 after 32 years of business  (Image: Newsquest)But the city was shocked to lose a staple which welcomed diners with such warmth and familiarity when the restaurant announced it would be closing its doors permanently in 2019.

Mr and Mrs Milan travelled to England from northwest Spain just three months after they got married before setting up shop in Norwich.

Though the pair planned to stay in the country for only a year, more than 50 years later they had built a home, a business and a family in our fine city - raising two children.

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Owners Jose and Maria Millan once welcomed guests they called family with a smile (Image: Newsquest)"My daughter always wanted to help in the kitchen," Mrs Millan said. "I remember when she was about five and couldn't reach the counters I would put two tins on the floor so she could reach into the sink and help me wash up."

The couple retired to a life of rest in 2019 - 32 years after first opening Don Pepe's doors.

Come closing time, Mr Millan said: "I think we've managed to be here so long because people come in and they feel like they're walking into a friend's house.

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Don Pepe in St Benedicts Street sadly closed its doors in 2019 (Image: Newsquest)"We haven't changed anything in 32 years. We haven't changed what's on the menu, we haven't changed the interior, we haven't even changed who supplies our coffee. Every time we've talked about it our customers said 'No, we love it the way it is.'"

On Don Pepe's diners, Mrs Millan added: "They're like a big family to us."

What long-lost restaurant do you miss most in Norwich?