A POPULAR farm shop has closed suddenly.

Littlemoors farm shop, at Hampreston near Wimborne, opened in May 2007 and had a coffee shop and sold meat, fish and cakes.

David Trehane, who recently took over family business Trehane Nurseries, said the shop had never been profitable.

He wrote online: “Your first reaction may be ‘But why? It was doing so well’. I only wish that were true.

“The entire team, past and present, have worked incredibly hard to bring the business to profit, but contrary to what I hope has been a professional exterior, internally we have never succeeded.

“There comes a time for a business such as this, when cash flow simply runs out, investment to kickstart marketing or create new projects is either non existent, unwise or in our case, both.”

The shop was a victim of increased choice in supermarkets and at regular farmer markets, he added.

“Put this alongside a huge rise in petrol costs and a gloomy economic forecast,” he said. “And it is perhaps easy to understand why people are no longer travelling to shop with us on a regular basis.”

Mr Trehane thanked his wife for her support and apologised to his suppliers and the project’s two shareholders for their financial loss.

Referring to the troubles Jenny Goldsack had at Goldys, in Wareham and Lychett Matravers, which closed last year, he added: “I have not wanted to go through that agony, with knock down prices, clearing stock and a half-empty shop.”

Mr Trehane also runs the successful Trehane Blueberries company.