A COMMUNITY café in a rural Herefordshire village will be shutting as it can't afford to carry on trading.

Dorstone's Front Room, in the Golden Valley Village, said it was with great sadness that it announced it was permanently closing.

Bosses said that the decision had not been taken lightly, but the substantial rise in energy and other running costs meant that it is no longer viable to stay open.

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Dorstone's Front Room, a café, gallery and tourist information centre, which is also a community space, was established almost 14 years ago when the post office shut its doors.

It was founded for the benefit of people in the village and surrounding areas, providing, among other services, somewhere to meet for a hot drink and companionship.

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Bosses said Dorstone's Front Room was well used for the first 10 years or so but recently, before and after the Covid lockdowns, the same need does not seem to exist to any great extent.

In order to stay open, the committee behind the centre said it would have to increase prices substantially, open for longer and advertise it to a larger market, which would negate the original intention.

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It said it would like to thank all present and past volunteers for their hard work and dedication, and the few remaining loyal customers for their support.

Meanwhile, energy regulator Ofgem announced that there would be an 80 per cent rise on the current cap making it £3,549.

The new cap starts on October 1 and will see 24 million households pay more for their energy. 

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