The refurbishment of a town centre supermarket has been partially blamed for the closure of a bakery in Haslemere.

The West Street branch of Haslemere Bakehouse closed on June 2 to end five years of trading in the town centre.

Rising costs have been cited with manager Matt Menard also pointing the finger at Waitrose for its demise, with the excitement surrounding its recent multimillion-pound refurbishment not helping.

“We took a big hit when Waitrose reopened,” said Matt, adding that it’s business as usual at its branches in Liphook and Liss.

The team have thanked customers for their trade over the last half-decade, with the Haslemere business available for purchase as a transfer of going concern at a below market value.