The owners of a popular County Durham cheesemaking business will close their café and shop for the winter for the first time since opening.
Teesdale Cheesemakers at Pond Farm, Copley Lane, near Bishop Auckland, will serve its final customers on October 31 before closing until late March 2027.
Jonathan and Allison Raper usually scale back the business between January and March, but this year they will shut for the entire winter.
Jonathan and Allison Raper. (Image: TEESDALE CHEESEMAKERS)
Customers will also miss out on the company’s traditional Christmas cheese range this year.
Jonathan said the decision came down to two main reasons.
He said: "The first is that we have some good local support, but it's not enough to take us through the winter months.
"Without tourists it makes it uneconomic for us to run the cafe through the winter months.
"The second reason is a lifestyle thing.
"We've had a good summer and we can afford to take it easy for the winter."
The couple launched Teesdale Cheesemakers in 2019 after leaving careers in engineering and purchasing to build a business together.
(Image: TEESDALE CHEESEMAKERS)
Since then, the business has grown into a popular visitor attraction, combining artisan cheesemaking with a café, shop and holiday accommodation.
The site also offers lodges and unusual stays, including a vintage caravan.
(Image: TEESDALE CHEESEMAKERS)
Every accommodation unit has its own wood-fired hot tub.
(Image: TEESDALE CHEESEMAKERS)
The café and shop will close at 4pm on October 31, but guests can still book the holiday accommodation until Christmas.
The couple, the business’s only employees, said they could no longer afford to run the café and shop through the quietest months.
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The closure is temporary, with plans to reopen in late March next year ahead of the tourist season.
Customers have quickly backed the couple’s decision.
One user said: "Enjoy your time off, we’ll miss you."