The Remarkable Rise of the  sé Anār Restaurant

In 2023, a small Indian restaurant opened at 107 Highfield Road in Blackpool’s South Shore. Within little more than a year, it had earned a place among Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants, bringing national recognition to an independent family business. Named  sé Anār, the restaurant was established by Renuka Morris and her husband, Colin, and would go on to receive recognition from The Good Food Guide for three consecutive years, in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The restaurant represented a considerable change of direction for Renuka, who had previously spent 23 years working in education. Despite enjoying her career, she had long harboured an ambition to Highfiestablish a restaurant celebrating the food and hospitality of her Indian heritage. Her decision was partly inspired by watching Indian-born chef Asma Khan in an episode of the Netflix documentary series Chef’s Table. Encouraged by her husband and daughter, Renuka eventually decided to leave education and pursue her ambition, despite the uncertainty surrounding the hospitality industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

A self-taught chef, Renuka drew inspiration from two Indian cities with particular personal significance: Jodhpur in Rajasthan, often called the Blue City, and Kolkata in West Bengal, widely associated with the description City of Joy. These influences helped shape a menu based on traditional Indian home cooking, incorporating family recipes, regional ingredients and dishes less commonly encountered in conventional British Indian restaurants. The restaurant’s name, Â sé Anār, makes reference to the pomegranate, a fruit associated with prosperity, beauty and abundance.

From the outset, Renuka wanted to establish something more personal than a conventional restaurant. The relatively intimate surroundings were intended to encourage conversation and create the welcoming atmosphere associated with family gatherings. Working alongside Colin, she developed a dining experience in which hospitality was considered as important as the food itself. Rather than concentrating on an extensive menu of familiar curries, the restaurant introduced customers to dishes reflecting different regional traditions, including Kashmiri pulao, Darjeeling chicken momo dumplings, Afghan chicken and family-style lamb curry. Some creations also incorporated European influences, demonstrating Renuka’s willingness to combine traditional recipes with her own ideas.

The restaurant quickly attracted attention beyond Blackpool. In 2024, The Good Food Guide selected  sé Anār for its annual list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants. The recognition was particularly notable because the business had opened only the previous year and Renuka had entered the restaurant industry without a professional culinary background. The guide praised its distinctive Indian cooking and community-focused approach, identifying it as an example of the independent neighbourhood restaurants the awards were intended to celebrate. Reviewing Britain’s best restaurants
Further recognition followed in July 2025 when  sé Anār appeared in the prestigious list for a second consecutive year. The Good Food Guide specifically acknowledged Renuka’s previous teaching career and the restaurant’s individual approach to Indian cuisine. By this stage, the business had established a loyal following, with customers regularly praising the quality of its cooking, personal service and welcoming atmosphere.

In 2026, the restaurant achieved another significant milestone when it was included among Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants for a third successive year. The accompanying review described a distinctive family-run establishment whose cooking remained closely connected to Indian culinary traditions. Its hospitality received particular recognition, earning a Very Good assessment for warmth and service. The guide also highlighted the restaurant’s supper clubs, occasional live music, charity events and Indian breakfast and brunch offerings, reflecting its development into a venue for social gatherings as well as dining.

© Â sé Anār Indian Restaurant

The success of  sé Anār also reflects the changing character of Highfield Road. Traditionally an established shopping street serving the surrounding residential neighbourhoods, the area has increasingly attracted independent cafés, restaurants and other hospitality businesses. Through its distinctive frontage, intimate surroundings and regular events,  sé Anār has contributed to this development while demonstrating how a relatively small establishment can achieve recognition far beyond its immediate community.

For Renuka Morris, the restaurant’s achievements represent the fulfilment of a personal ambition pursued after more than two decades in a different profession. What began as a desire to share the cooking traditions of her upbringing has developed into one of Blackpool’s nationally recognised independent restaurants. Its successive appearances in The Good Food Guide between 2024 and 2026provide a remarkable early chapter in the history of a business that has become part of South Shore’s evolving hospitality scene.

© Â sé Anār Indian Restaurant