An acclaimed fusion food restaurant is to close after 17 years.

In just over a week, Steve Funnell will leave the Black Chapati, which he was inspired to open by his Indian travels.

The restaurant in Circus Parade, Brighton, originally specialised in home-style Indian cooking based on recipes he learnt in the subcontinent during the Seventies.

Friends had enjoyed his home-cooked meals so much that he was encouraged to begin outside catering and then open his own restaurant.

As the years went on he added Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Spanish and North African ingredients to the mix.

But he is now selling up after years of slaving in the kitchen and competition from major chains.

He plans to hit the road again, searching for exotic new flavours and menus as he writes his first cookbook.

The Black Chapati has twice been named County Restaurant of the Year by The Good Food Guide and holds a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmande.

The AA Restaurant Guide called Shoreham-born Mr Funnell "the father of fusion cooking in this country".

However, Mr Funnell, who lives in Brighton, said: "It's time to move on. Seventeen years at the cutting edge of modern cooking is a long time.

"I'm still passionate about food but standing over a stove for long hours has lost its appeal. You need the fitness of a Division One footballer to keep going.

"I've been doing this for a long time and I want a break. The restaurant scene has changed a lot in recent years. Major chains have taken over, producing bland food for mass taste.

"I want to travel and eat more. Food is still the driving force in my life but I want to write about it rather than cook. My customers have been asking me for a cookbook for years. Now at last I'll have the time."

Mr Funnell, who is self-taught and happy never to have taken a cookery lesson, will serve his last meals at the Black Chapati on Saturday, June 26.

The restaurant will then be closed until new Thai owners take over next month.