The owners of a deli restaurant which only opened eight months ago have announced its closure citing the cost of living crisis.

The owners of the Kernow Dine & Deli in Falmouth made the announcement on Facebook at the weekend.

Del and Natasha Crookes opened Kernow Dine & Deli at 22 Killigrew Street across from The Moor in December 2023 after successfully running KernowWine in the unit next door.

However on Sunday they announced a post on Facebook that they had ‘sadly’ decided to close the deli which occupies one of the four units in the former Richard Cook Furniture building. Their wine bar will remain open.

They said they had been hit hard by the cost of living crisis, high energy prices, VAT, huge price increases for buying ingredients, a lack of footfall plus “ridiculously” high duty costs and taxes for alcohol.

Natasha told the Packet:  "We knew we would need to have cash flow in the quiet months as we established the business. Unfortunately, despite some lovely reviews, really great media support (particularly from the Packet) and lovely customers, trade didn’t pick up and the season never started. That meant subsidising even in the spring and summer months and we could not see a way to continue. 

"We’ve been hit hard by the cost of living crisis, high energy prices, VAT, price increases for buying ingredients, a lack of footfall plus ridiculously high duty costs and taxes for alcohol. 

"We want to thank our staff, led in the kitchen by Gabriel Verdi and front of house with Christie Holdroff, our whole team have been amazing and we are devastated to be letting them down. 

"Thank you too, to all our customers We will still be running the wine bar as that is a separate enterprise and we hope to see our customers there. We will reintroduce our original small plates in the bar over the next few weeks.

"It’s a difficult year for hospitality businesses in Cornwall - we would encourage everyone to please support your local restaurant, bar, shop, café or pub, otherwise they may not be there next year."

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The deli restaurant’s head chef Gabriel Verdi was only 19 when he took over after spending the past six years working in Cornwall and London, and training under names such as Gordon Ramsay and Adam Handling at the Ugly Butterfly.

It’s at least the second business to close in the new units in the former Richard Cook building to close.

KoalaKarlous the bagel and coffee shop disappeared earlier this year without explanation after opening a branch in Plymouth but has now been replaced by Olfactory Coffee.

Elsewhere in the town the Planted Cafe in Church Street lease is up for sale as is the lease on the Star Glazers ceramics painting shop in the High Street, Falmouth, the former home of The Natural Store.