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Former takeaway goes from noodles to needles

Angelle Joseph/BBC Rebecca Chung smiles outside her business. She has long black hair that is tied back behind her head. She wears a black t-shirt and gold hoop earrings. She holds one arm out toward her business and a snake tattoo can be seen on the inside of this arm.Angelle Joseph/BBC
Rebecca Chung repurposed her family's former takeaway into her own business

A woman has reinvented her family's former Chinese takeaway into her own small business.

Rebecca Chung, 30, ran a traditional Chinese medicine clinic from home until she moved to Bramford Lane in Ipswich last April.

The shop was formerly the Tim Lee Chinese takeaway, named after her grandad, who ran it.

Ms Chung said the space was "close to her heart" as she had worked there as a youth with her family.

Angelle Joseph/BBC Ms Chung is pictured holding a plant in her hand and a glass jar. She is looking away from the camera.Angelle Joseph/BBC
Ms Chung was convinced by her best friend to open her clinic

"My grandad emigrated from Hong Kong and he originally worked in Norwich but he wanted to set up his own thing," she explained.

"So he moved to Ipswich and set up his takeaway, which was called Tim Lee.

"My grandad then passed it down to my dad who sadly passed away in 2021.

"When my dad passed we kind of abandoned it for two years to grieve, we kept very much to ourselves so no one knew what happened to Tim Lee."

While practising her profession from home, Ms Chung's mother suggested she reopened the former takeaway as a clinic.

While hesitant at first and the family had considered renting the space, it was not until Ms Chung's best friend suggested she go for it when she took the leap.

She added that since opening she had been very busy.

Angelle Joseph/BBC A windowsill inside the clinic which has various items placed upon it including business cards, plants and glass jars.Angelle Joseph/BBC
Ms Chung said she held the building close to her heart
Google The exterior of the former Tim Lee takeaway, which is situated at the end of a row of terraced houses.Google
Ms Chung's family ran the Tim Lee takeaway on Bramford Lane for many years

Ms Chung said all she "ever knew" growing up was the Tim Lee takeaway.

"On Saturdays and Sundays when people would go out and play out, we would help out in the takeaway," she continued.

"I was on washing the rice duty and I was on packaging duties."

She joked that she was often not left to her own devices in the takeaway because she was "not great" at organising orders.

"But we worked as a family, that's something that we hold so close to our heart especially with this space," she added.

LISTEN: Noodles to needles

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