A wine shop and bar is being forced to close after less than two years despite its owners investing £250,000 in the venture.
The Tudor Peacock in Chilham Square opened its doors with one aim – to sell Kent-made wine to connoisseurs across the county.
It launched in the village – between Canterbury and Ashford – in December 2023, in a 14th-century building once occupied by a gift store.
Featuring a wine shop and bar, it also had a tasting room upstairs and covers outside.
However, just 20 months after opening, chairman Greg Taylor has made the decision to close the shutters.
The 62-year-old confirmed the venue’s final day of trading will be September 7.
Mr Taylor said: “Unfortunately, we have not been able to generate sufficient sales to maintain our current operations.
“A huge thank you to our staff, business partners, lender, investors and many others who helped us renovate our Grade II premises on Chilham Square and launch a Kentish wine shop and bar in the heart of the burgeoning UK wine county.“
The Tudor Peacock project was given the green light in August 2023.
Mr Taylor says £250,000 was then spent on renovating the distinctive building, including a glass floor and soundproofing.
However, being able to provide additional seating proved to be one of the biggest challenges, with concerns raised about the noise of screeching chairs and tables on the concrete floor outside.
Mr Taylor told KentOnline: “We didn’t have permission for outdoor tables initially for the first year we were here.
“Although that changed for Sundays this year, I think it hurt us.
“Tables were only allowed outside until 7pm, so staff would have to stop what they were doing and chase customers away to get the tables in.
“Customers would then leave and go to a pub on a nice summer day, which didn’t help us.
“We also invested a significant amount of money renovating the building – about £250,000 – and making it fit for purpose to showcase its original architectural features.
“It’s just one of the most beautiful squares in England, and of course, villagers would like to enjoy that.
“But we just haven’t had the necessary traffic to continue as we are currently – I think the times we’re living in have made it tough.
“But we’re proud of the work we did to this Grade-II building, which dates from 1370 to 1410.
“And we’re really grateful for the support we received from customers, staff, producers and public sector agencies, which helped us as well.”
Customers appeared equally as disappointed following the announcement.
Speaking online, Katie Sawyer said: “What a bloody awful shame.
“Such a lot of blood, sweat and tears – an outstanding effort and a place I found so enjoyable. I’m very sorry indeed.“
Julie Warner-Gladish added: “So sorry to hear. You guys created such a wonderful English wine venue.
“Your passion, support and enthusiasm for English wine is second to none.”
