
Popular BBQ restaurant set for return in Ayr with pub to be transformed
A former Ayrshire restaurant is set for a return after closing its doors two and half years ago.
Homestead Smokehouse in Ayr closed the doors to its former premises on Alloway Place on Hogmanay in 2022.
Just two and half years later, they are back and set to take over the former Retro Bar and Cactus Jak's on Miller Road.
The company has continued trading since closing the restaurant, bringing their signature BBQ cuisine to functions and events throughout Ayrshire.
Signature dishes served at the restaurant before its closure included including freshly ground burgers lathered with cheese, streaky bacon, tender pulled pork and smoked brisket and Ayrshire's foodies will be gearing up to get a taste once again.
Updating customers, Homestead Smokehouse said: "The rumours are true.
"We've heard the whispers and it's time to set the record straight. Yes — a brand new restaurant is coming and it's ours.
"You better believe it's going to be bigger, better and smokier than ever. Smash burgers, real BBQ, killer cocktails. Let the countdown begin."
Opened in 2020, the popular Alloway Place restaurant was running for just over two years before it closed.
Prior to closure, it was Ayr's number one restaurant on Tripadvisor and earned a Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice award in 2022.
Retro Bar, situated below LA Bowl on Miller Road, was open for less than a year after first welcoming customers in July 2024.
Previously it had been Cactus Jak's between 2008 and 2011 and Miller's American themed bar before that.
Back in the 1970s it was the Darlington Hotel, and featured international cabaret with the likes of Eartha Kitt, Lena Martell, Tommy Cooper and Vince Hill.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The wild tale of a multimillion-dollar CEO who got thrown in jail: best podcasts of the week
Following her hit podcast Scamanda, host Charlie Webster follows another twisty scandal. Candace Rivera built a flawless online brand as a divorced single mother, nurse and CEO of multimillion-dollar companies. But was any of it actually real? Webster unpicks what was happening behind the scenes and the events that ultimately led to this 'unicorn girl' being sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison. Hollie RichardsonWidely available, episodes weekly This collaboration between BBC Studios and American giants iHeart tells the true story of a grim murder in Texas and a woman, Sandy Melgar, wrongfully convicted for the death of her husband, Jim. In a genre where grieving relatives are often bit-part players, the presence of their daughter, Lizz, pushes it above the competition. Hannah J Davies Widely available, episodes weekly It's an uncertain moment for the podcast world, as Wondery's true-crime treats may soon be absorbed into the Amazon stable. In the meantime, enjoy what it does best: a ripped-from-the-headlines hoot about a French town where the mayor devolved his power to the local psychic. Mon dieu! Anna Richardson and Leo Schick host. HJDWidely available, episodes weekly Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion The Atlantic's podcast about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath returns for a special 20th anniversary episode, and it's a stirring portrait of one family. Le-Ann Williams wants a better life for daughter Destiny, but – as host Vann R Newkirk II notes – 'maybe she's got it backwards … maybe they've got what other people are searching for'. HJDWidely available, out now Kavita Puri hosts a three-part series marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, and considering the events that preceded it – namely, Britain's often downplayed role in the war against Japan on the Asian front. There are even eyewitness testimonies, which are all the more impressive given just how long ago these events took place. HJDWidely available, episodes weekly


Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kate Middleton's boho dress was an instant sell-out - we've found a mini version plus high street alternatives that are equally charming
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more The Princess of Wales has mastered the art of dressing to impress - but she's equally admired for her relaxed, countryside style, often showcased during rural engagements. One such moment came last September, when Kate released a heartwarming family video announcing she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. She has since released two of four short films - named after the seasons - celebrating the beauty of the natural world and the comfort she personally found in the countryside during her cancer journey. In that first video, Kate wore the effortlessly elegant Castella Dress by American label Veronica Beard. With its flattering mid-length silhouette, voluminous sleeves, and intricate paisley and geometric print, it quickly became a sell-out. Fortunately, we've tracked down a charming mini version from Veronica Beard - plus equally striking paisley print alternatives from the likes of Aspiga, Boden and Mint Velvet, available to shop below. Veronica Beard Belissa Paisley Mini Dress High street alternatives Aspiga Hayden Block Print Dress £165 Shop Boden Beatrice Dress £139 Shop Nobody's Child Ariana Dress £54 Shop Mint Velvet Geometric Dress £49 Shop FS Collection Geo Print Dress £49 Shop AllSaints Delphine Shirt Dress £179 Shop Tu Scarf Print Dress £28 Shop New Look Paisley Print Dress £34.99 Shop


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
The Real Housewives of London review – one of them dresses up in ruffs like a Poundshop Elizabeth I
It's taken nearly 20 years for the American reality franchise to wind its way across the Atlantic to the capital. In the meantime, there were pretenders and near-misses – Ladies of London, Real Housewives of Cheshire – but now, finally, west London's ex-model community has a viable retirement plan. The delay seems all the more inexplicable, when you consider how to the manner born – if not to the manor born – these ladies are. Take Amanda, who lives in Belgravia, drives a Bentley convertible, runs an underperforming luxury beauty brand and is in a co-dependent relationship with her poodle-cum-stylist, Monty. Amanda has it all – clearly – and in the first episode's first five minutes, she cements her status as RHOL's Queen Bee by saying: 'I'm actually a really private person.' Direct to camera. On a reality TV show. With a straight face. Now that's a Real Housewife. It's all about being 'real', you see – in the sense of being fake, but in a really committed way. The 'house' bit also matters. Hence, we're introduced to every cast member with a property-porn interiors montage (a slow-pan of the walk-in bag/shoe closet is the obligatory third or fourth shot). To a lesser extent, the 'wife' bit is also important. That's why, and no offence to the one from Wham who's not George Michael, but Amanda is going to need to accrue some more impressive ex-husbands if she hopes to secure her top spot for many more series to come. I'm rooting for you, babe. We're all rooting for you. All except RHOL's five other cast members. They're not rooting for you, Amanda. They're perfectly poised to snatch the crown, should it ever slip. And, as befits a city full of history, some of these society girls go back. Way back. Like, all the way back to 'when Annabel's first opened', which should lend a certain 'heritage' texture to their feuding. There are two Juliets, at least one of whom rides horses in Hyde Park and has a husband named Tiggy. Indeed, with such aristo bona fides, one might think it unnecessary to further signpost your status ambitions by dressing up for the confessional in a royal insignia and ruffs, like a Poundland Elizabeth I. But perhaps this was done for the benefit of Juliet M's nemesis, Panthea, whose husband, a lowly lawyer, has recently been made 'Master of the Solicitors' as a 'prestige thing' (never heard of it). In London, we're told, 'wealth whispers'. That's in contrast to the outrageous overconsumption of OG Real Housewives like Teresa Giudice and Jen Shah – both convicted fraudsters – from the New Jersey and Salt Lake City shows, respectively. In practice, it's investment banker turned baker Nessie wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, while saying things like 'We were in a very … comfortable position, let's say'. Or describing her husband's line of work as 'entrepreneur in the mining industry', which is certainly one of the more transparent euphemisms for 'earthly emissary from hell's 9th circle' that I've heard lately. None of this rises to the level of the class analysis or psychological insight that we've come to expect from the franchise at its finest, but happily there's still time for deeper themes to develop. And happily there's also Karen, from Jamaica via Jersey, whose main function on the show is cracking up at the foolishness of these Englishwomen, while delivering teeth-kissing side-eye, as only a posh Jamaican can. With chaos agents like these on the guest-list, Amanda is quite right to brace for trouble ahead of her International Women's Day soiree: 'This loo needs to be checked every 15 minutes,' she tells her housekeeper sternly. 'Remember. Because it will be carnage in there.' Ominous … But maybe Beluga caviar has some digestive side-effects which are well-known in society circles? Or is it the Ozempic? In the event, RHOL's inaugural bust-up happens outside the downstairs loo, after Panthea made a toast that was 10% empty girl boss platitudes and 90% shady digs at Juliet. God bless Panthea, the only one vulgar enough to break that 'wealth whispers' omertà and put a price-tag on her bragging. She once dropped a cool £140,000 in a single Harrods trip, she says, which 'back then is equivalent to 300-and-something thousand'. I've done the maths, and this dates Panthea's spree to some point in 1963 – around the same time private members' club Annabel's opened, in fact. So either they're all time-travelling vampires, let loose on one of Nessie's husband's Hellmouth expeditions or – good news, girls – the botox really works! The Real Housewives of London is on Hayu.