A restaurateur is to transform his late father's former Indian restaurant into a Texan Smokehouse, the first of its kind in the area.

Ashikul Islam, from Portswood, was looking to add to his street food portfolio - and couldn't resist snapping up The Great Moghul in Eastleigh, where his Dad Abu Sufian spent many hours in the kitchen cooking up delightful curries as chef and part owner for more than a decade. 

Ash, who used to work in the High Street restaurant as a youth, was struggling after his father's death in 2016 and took some time out to travel the world, falling in love with the food he was served up in Austin, Texas. 

(Image: Ashikul Islam) READ MORE: Fond farewell to the couple at the helm of an iconic New Forest pub

When he was contacted by the owner of The Great Moghul looking for a new buyer for the restaurant, it seemed the perfect plan to honour his father's legacy while bringing Texan flavours to Hampshire. 

Ash told the Daily Echo: "I grew up in that restaurant and it's always been special to me since I was a little boy. It broke my heart when my father had to sell it but, fifteen years later, I've bought the place back!

"I wanted to do something a bit different with it and I'm excited to see the renovations start to take shape. I think my Dad would have been proud. It seems like it's one of those things that was meant to be."

(Image: Ashikul Islam) The new restaurant is set to open sometime in July after a complete renovation, which got underway this week, and will specialise in authentic Southern states style barbecue food including ribs, lamb cutlets and other slow cooked meats.

The Great Moghul has been a beloved Indian restaurant in the heart of Eastleigh since 1988.

Ash's father and a partner purchased it ten years later and Abu only sold his share of the business when he was diagnosed with cancer and became too ill to run it back in 2010.

(Image: Ashikul Islam)