A popular Cockermouth business is to close its doors after trading for eight years.

The Coffee Kitchen, in Challoner Street, run by Andy and Angela Walsh, is to shut on October 12 at 4pm, but their Coffee Kitchen Bakery in Market Place will still remain open.

On their decision to close the cafe, Andy said: “We just want to concentrate on the growth area for the business. We work very hard between the two of us and we want to make sure we’ve got things in place to have a business that’s growing.

“It was eight years of hard work but at the end of the day, I think it’s the right decision at the time, we’ve worked extraordinarily hard, as anyone walks past here at midnight will vouch for.”

He said that trading conditions in the UK are going to be very difficult over the next couple of years and they want to build on what they do well.

Andy said that they will still be serving their popular coffee at the bakery and will also do sandwiches and hot food.

In fact they are looking to increase their lunchtime menu.

They also have new customers on line for wholesale and other areas and new markets to tap in to. “It makes much more sense to concentrate on one thing and make sure we do very well at that,” Andy added.

The Coffee Kitchen is not being sold as a going concern and Andy said he hopes that any losses to staff will be minimalised as they intend to bring staff across with them to the bakers and wherever they can will help staff find other work too.

The couple have had a lot of support on social media since announcing the decision to close.

Andy said: “We’ve had a lot of support on social media, nice messages, we do have a lot of very loyal customers that we hope they will come across with us here at the bakery and enjoy what we do here as well.”

The couple said they would like to thank customers and staff saying: “Just to everybody that has been involved with us in the past whether customers or staff we are very thankful for them and we just wish them the best for the future.

“We’re still here in the bakery so I hope they come and see us.”