Canterbury city centre has lost another well-established store with the closure of the Steamer Trading Cookshop in Burgate.

But the premises is expected to re-open in the new year as a Harris + Hoole coffee shop.

Bosses at the store, which sold cooking appliances and baking equipment, say the location close to the Cathedral entrance no longer worked for them because it is heavily frequented by tourists.

“They aren’t really our target customers so we decided not to renew the lease when it ended in August,” said chief executive Mark Saunders.

“The landlords said we could stay on until Christmas which would have suited us but then suddenly decided they wanted us out sooner which was a bit disappointing.”

Mr Saunders said the company, which has two other Kent stores in Bluewater and Westerham, had been preparing for the closure since August and five staff had lost their jobs as a result.

He added: “We still think Canterbury is a great place for us to be because it has been a happy hunting ground and we have many loyal customers.

“If the right location came up, we would certainly be keen to open a store in the city again.

“But the location in the Burgate I am sure will work very well as a coffee shop.”

A statement from the company added: “We would like to thank our customers for their loyalty over many years – we’ve very much enjoyed our time here.

“Whilst we would have loved to stay until Christmas, the building will shortly be covered in scaffolding whilst it is prepared for the next tenant – a coffee shop that will be taking over early in the New Year.”