Town centre cheese shop to close after 35 years

The cheese shop in Leominster, Herefordshire, will close in April

A cheese retailer has announced it will be closing its original store, 35 years after it was opened.

Mousetrap Cheese said its branch in Leominster, Herefordshire, would be shutting its doors for the last time on 5 April.

In a post on Facebook, the owners Claire and Matt Knowles blamed the decision on the rising costs and the reduced footfall in the town.

They confirmed that the branches in Hereford and Ludlow, Shropshire, would remain open.

The social media statement said: “Leominster was the first of the Mousetrap Cheese shops opened over 35 years ago.

“While it was always the quietest of the three shops, we were able to manage that and make it worth staying open.”

They said the business was still thriving online and that the other two branches were “well used and safe".

But they added: “Our electricity bills quadrupling within a year as well as very many other increases in cost is just too much for us to continue running in Leominster.”

The owners thanked customers for their support and the staff who have worked at the branch over the years.