Exotic new restaurant to open on site of one of Haywards Heath’s best known venues

Banana Tree, which is renowned for its exotic street-food inspired dishes, is opening on the site of the former Rouge in The Broadway in early June.

Big Table Group, the company behind Las Iguanas and Bella Italia, have confirmed that the team from Rouge have moved over to Banana Tree, adding that the site has created ten new jobs.

Banana Tree’s managing director Anne Chow said: “It’s really exciting to be bringing the flavours of Banana Tree to a new community. Whether you want to tuck into a Pan-Asian feast, or enjoy 2-4-1 cocktails with friends or just enjoy some light bites, we’ve got something for everyone, and we can’t wait for Haywards Heath to try it for themselves.”

The company made the announcement after a planning application appeared on Mid Sussex District Council’s planning portal to replace the existing Rouge Brasserie signage with Banana Tree signage. See the application at pa.midsussex.gov.uk/online-applications using reference DM/23/1183.

To mark the occasion, Banana Tree said it is giving away 1,000 free Panko Crispy Katsu Curries from June 5. Guests need to visit /bananatree.co.uk/1000-free-katsu and fill in the form to book their table and redeem the offer. They will then get an email to complete the booking and this must be done 24 hours before the visit.

Banana Tree aims to select the best dishes from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia for its menu. It offers: soups, salads, wok-tossed noodles, stir fries, curries and Katsu, plus desserts and cocktails inspired by South-East Asia. The restaurant also works on creating plant-based meat alternatives and testing out new recipes. Over 40 per cent of Banana Tree’s menu is plant-based.

The new Haywards Heath restaurant will feature 146 covers and offers a relaxed environment with private seating areas for group bookings. There will be a private dining room on the first floor.

Banana Tree was founded 30 years ago in Maida Vale, West London. Visit bananatree.co.uk. Big Table Group is the operator of the Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, Amalfi, Banana Tree and Café Rouge restaurant brands. The group operates more than 150 restaurants across the UK and Ireland.