A Cheltenham coffee shop has announced it is closing with immediate effect.

The Find on Regent Street, which opened in 2017, was popular with locals and tourists alike. But yesterday (June 1) it announced its shock closure on Facebook.

The statement said: "The Find is currently closed and we are not sure at this time when the café might open again.

"It is with much regret that we have had to announce the closure of The Find with immediate effect.

"We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support, loyalty and the many wonderful memories that we have shared over the past eight years. Serving the community has been a true honour, a lot of fun, and your custom has meant the world to us. Whether you stopped by for your daily coffee or a quiet brunch, you were the heart of what made The Find special.

"We are not sure what the future may hold but thank you for having been part of our journey.

"With much gratitude, David and The Find Team."

In response, more than 30 customers expressed their sadness and support for owner, David Orme, and his team.

Kate Hodgson wrote: "I am absolutely gutted, this was my go-to, I've introduced many friends to it over the years, and they've all become fans too. I hope you're all OK."

Nicky Read wrote: "Gutted to read this. You've long been one of my favourite places in Cheltenham and I've recommended you to so many others. Wonderful food, excellent service and a great atmosphere."

And Fi Burge wrote: "Thank you for the most wonderful hospitality as the best coffee house in Cheltenham. An unforgettable night for my husband's 50th. Everyone will miss you all."

The award-winning coffee shop had a refresh of the outside of its building in November last year. In July last year, it played host to then Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, on the campaign trail with former MP for Cheltenham, Alex Chalk.

Punchline-Gloucester.com spoke to David Orme in 2021, as the business rode the wave of Covid and lockdowns.

At the time, David Orme said: "I'm a chartered accountant. I've worked in the City and in banking. I've had lots of careers - I was a stay-at-home dad with my young daughters, I was trained in horticulture and garden design and had a spell as a landscape designer.

"But I've always had a passion for food, drink and people and socialising. Having sadly lost my wife to pancreatic cancer about nine years ago, I moved back to Cheltenham, where I grew up, with my young daughters and threw myself back into a new life. It ties in all the things I love about the world."

David and The Find worked to support other independent businesses in the town. He said he didn't see them as rivals, but felt that they were all working together to offer something special to consumers in Cheltenham.

On running an independent coffee shop, he said in 2021: "It's about being the best at what you do and really focusing on that, because I think that's what the customer comes in for. They're not coming because you offer 20 or 30 things, they're coming because you offer one or two really great things."

Punchline-Gloucester.com said: "Another well run, well supported hospitality establishment has closed its doors. The hospitality sector has never been under so much pressure, with rising staff costs and National Insurance contributions, rents and business rates, coupled with the rising cost of coffee, and the rise in the number of coffee shops in Cheltenham as competition.

"When someone like David Orme, who has been in business a long time and runs a very good ship, has decided to close the doors for whatever reason, it is a sad day for Cheltenham. We don't know why he decided to close The Find, but we know it wasn't a decision he would have taken lightly. We know he's not the first and he definitely won't be the last. If you love independent businesses, you have to keep supporting them!

"Behind every business are the people and the families and the stresses and strains of keeping it afloat. Working in the hospitality sector is like being on a hamster wheel, where a lot of them aren't making any money - they're either breaking even or losing. Sometimes, you just have to get off the hamster wheel and look after your health and your family. This government doesn't understand the hospitality sector."