Businessman Clinton Pugh put on a brave face as he opened a bumper sell-off sale at The Lemon Tree restaurant in North Oxford.

The restaurant, in Woodstock Road, closed in August and more or less everything was up for grabs – catering equipment, crockery, paintings and the proverbial kitchen sink.

About 40 bargain-hunters queued up before 10am when the sale opened.

However, there was no price tag on a piano in the bar, and Mr Pugh said he was hanging onto it as part of his plans to reopen the Lemon Tree as a food and music venue.

For the past two years, the restaurateur, who also runs the new Cafe CoCo in Frideswide Square as well as the original in Cowley Road, was seeking planning permission to demolish The Lemon Tree, and build new homes in its place, but his fourth application was refused by the city council this month, in line with officers’ recommendations.

Mr Pugh could re-submit new plans or appeal to a planning inspector.

However, he is currently considering reopening The Lemon Tree in a different guise, focusing on food and music.

He said: “I don’t think this is a sad day. The Lemon Tree has been a tremendous success, with fantastic staff and great customers, but the climate has changed.

“Everything has been selling quickly because the prices are reasonable, and there are some interesting pieces here.

“I’d like to finish the sale by Saturday because I want to concentrate on getting the place open again.

“There are not many stylish places in Oxford where you can go to enjoy music.”

Some customers were there to pick up a bargain while others came for one last look at The Lemon Tree.

David Bellan, from Bladon, said: “I’ve bought four glasses for £1 and a small metal fryer for the same price, purely for nostalgic reasons.

“My wife Suzanne and I used to come here and it was our favourite restaurant, with lovely food and an unbeatable atmosphere.

“I am very sorry to see it go and I came here for something to remind me of the poor old Lemon Tree.”

Andy Gray, 30, from Chipping Norton, stopped at the sale after he saw it driving past.He said: “The prices seem very reasonable. There are some nice carpets and if I was opening a restaurant I would be in heaven.”

Formerly the Red Lion pub, The Lemon Tree opened in 1995 and instantly became one of the city's most popular restaurants.

Mr Pugh sold it in 2000 and it became La Gousse d'Ail, before that operation closed in 2002 and he bought the restaurant back and reopened it as The Lemon Tree in 2003.

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