BRAVE Kington chef Now Clarke has sadly lost her fight with cancer just months after organising a thank you night for the charity which supported her through her two-year illness.

As tributes poured in from friends and family, Now’s grieving husband, Allan made a poignant announcement on Facebook explaining that their Thai restaurant, Sawadee, which has become popular with customers in Kington, was no longer trading.

He explained: “Now, our chef sadly passed away yesterday after a brave battle with cancer.”

Buddhist monks from Kings Bromley in Staffordshire were called to Kington to give a blessing to Now, whose Thai name was Saowalak.

They will also officiate at her funeral in Hereford Crematorium on January 30 at 12 noon.

The couple, who have a 15-year-old son, Lennon, were married in Thailand in 2001 before returning to the UK for a wedding in Kingsland church two years later.

Their decision to open Kington’s only Thai restaurant last year came after Allan was forced to quit his job as an electrician following an accident which left him with a broken back.

They based Sawadee – which means ‘hello’ in Thai – at the Royal Oak pub run by landlord Casey Floyd, and the two businesses have operated under one roof with great success. It came as a “huge shock” when Now was diagnosed with leukaemia, and the Clarkes were told it was very unlikely she could be cured.

But last autumn, Now was told her cancer was in remission.

While she still needed further treatment, Allan explained at the time that “things were looking good”.

They decided they wanted to give something back to Macmillan Cancer Support, and organised a special fundraising night at Sawadee as a thank you for their support after what had been a traumatic two years, and to raise awareness of the charity’s work.

Speaking this week, Allan said: “It’s so sad, she was doing so well.”

“She got food poisoning from a takeaway and that delayed her chemotherapy in Cheltenham for two weeks.” Allan pointed out that Now had been due to start an 18-month course of radiotherapy in March.

“But the cancer came back in November,” he said.

Customers regularly queued up for Now’s authentic cuisine, and despite her illness she insisted on cooking for 42 on Christmas Day.

“She wouldn’t cancel, she was determined,” said Allan.

As she grew weaker and found difficulty going up and down stairs, a hospital bed was placed in the lounge for her. “She received the first pain relief she’d had other than paracetamol on the Saturday, and sadly passed last Sunday. It was all very quick and peaceful.”

Allan admitted that her death did not seem “at all real” for him or for Lennon.