Mezze pub-restaurant quits Congresbury due to ‘rising business rates and poor summer trade’

The former tenant of a Congresbury pub-restaurant has spoken of the ‘difficult’ decision to leave the village.

Mezze Restaurants has left The Ship and Castle, in High Street, after five years at the site, making way for new tenants Mark Green and Sarah Aston-Davies – who the outgoing firm wished ‘the best of luck’.

A spokesman said: “The decision was a difficult one for us to make, as we felt so at home in Congresbury, but was made based mainly on rising business rates and a poor summer trade.

“The site heavily relies on summer sun to be able to show a profit and this year the sun just did not seem to have his hat on.

“On top of this the site has a rent that, in our opinion, has not moved with the downturn in trade and does not lend itself to long-term sustainability.”

Mezze Restaurants added it was ‘overwhelmed’ by the support it received and ‘would love to make a return when the time is right.’