A cafe once voted the best in Kent has closed suddenly after just 16 months of trading.

Leo and Sage opened in Elwick Place in Ashford in August last year but bosses say “escalating costs” have led to the difficult decision to shut the venue.

It was run by operations manager Giulia Waddington and her mother and step-father who were co-owners.

But the cafe closed suddenly yesterday – with bosses taking aim at landlords Ashford Borough Council over a “lack of support”.

In a statement, they said: “With heart-wrenching sadness, we are left with no other choice but to announce that Leo and Sage closed its doors today for the last time.

“Despite dedicated efforts, constant passion for what we created, huge personal losses, a loyal and growing customer base, Leo and Sage has come to face insurmountable challenges.

“The inherited historic debts of the company we took over as well as the constantly escalating utility costs and the ever-rising operational expenses and living costs, not to mention the landlord's lack of asset management support, have all significantly impacted the ability to sustain Leo and Sage’s operation and its chance to become a profitable business, ultimately culminating in the heartbreaking decision to cease trading.

“We are immensely grateful to our loyal customers, our passionate and dedicated staff and the supportive community that contributed to the café’s success during its sadly too short life.

“We are obviously biased, however Leo and Sage has been a gem in this town. In its 16 months of trading, it has become an integral part of the community and also important to the community at large.”

The Leo and Sage name came from the fact Ms Waddington’s parents’ star signs were Leo and Sagittarius.

Earlier this year the cafe was voted the best in Kent in the Muddy Stiletto Awards.

The statement added: “It has taken the greater part of a year to make Leo and Sage known and for it to become a destination for many, considering Elwick Place itself had been unknown to many and to many it still is.

“Your wonderful and continuous support turned Leo and Sage into an award winning café for bringing some alternative flair to this town. It might not have been everyone’s flair but our share of the market desperately needs this flair. And that share keeps growing.

“This decision has been an incredibly tough one. It’s been an amazing journey and we can’t thank you all enough for being a part of it. Your support and your love for our café has meant the world to us.

“Thank you all for being part of the Leo and Sage family.”

Elwick Place, a £75 million leisure complex, opened in 2018 with a six-screen Picturehouse cinema and a 58-room Travelodge Hotel.

But since then it has been hit by several closures.

In a statement, an ABC spokesman said: “We’re sad to see Leo and Sage close, they have been a valued part of the Elwick Place family and won the best cafe in Kent 2023 in the acclaimed Muddy Stilettoes Awards showing how popular this business was, not just locally, but across Kent.

“As we know, times are tough on the high street, and as we have seen not just in Ashford but nationally, many retailers are finding it tough economically.

“We have supported Leo and Sage, as we do with all our Elwick Place tenants, by providing marketing and promotional support via our Love Ashford website, social media channels and town centre events.

“We have also provided them with business advice and financial support in the form of a significant rent-free period.

“We continue to have a number of enquiries in several of the Elwick Place units by interested parties, and we are confident there will be a number of positive announcements on some new faces at Elwick Place very soon.”

Before Leo and Sage opened, its unit was filled by fine-dining restaurant Gastronomist Club, but it had to close after just four months of opening due to being hit badly by the pandemic.

In October last year, upmarket food shop and restaurant Macknade closed suddenly. Bosses blamed the cost of living crisis for having to scale back operations.

This was followed by Italian restaurant Unità 4 which shut in February after two years, with owners saying they need to take "time to reflect and reassess the business".

Gaming room Virtual Recreation filled half of the former Macknade unit when it opened last month.

Afro-Caribbean restaurant Dansaki was supposed to open in the unit next door to Leo and Sage but plans never got off the ground.

Last week bosses behind DJB Nightclub showed interest in opening in the unit.

But plans have now been withdrawn with the owners instead looking for a new location in Ashford.

Other businesses in the complex include home and lifestyle shop The Snug, Matches sports bar, gaming room Virtual Recreation and gym Snap Fitness.

Meanwhile, some 200 flats are set to be built next to the Travelodge, in two seven-storey blocks.