KEELHAM Farm Shop, currently known as Keelham Food Hall, closed its doors for business on Thursday, December 28 after only telling staff of the decision that morning, sources have revealed.

The firm's online store has also closed down. Searches for food and drink return a 'no products found' message.

Two people who had been to the shop, in Gargrave Road, Skipton, adjacent to the A65/A59 Gargrave Road roundabout, to buy products had been told by staff there that the business was closing down.

One unnamed source told  The Craven Herald: "My wife came back from the food hall and said she was shocked to learn the business was closing at the end of the day (yesterday). Apparently shocked staff were informed that they would not be paid unless they worked their full shift. No reason was given."

Another shopper said: "It is a disgusting way to treat staff. Before Christmas I was trying to buy a voucher as a gift for a family member and the company kept coming up with excuses that the system was down, or something like that, so could not issue a voucher at the moment. I know now what that was all about."

A notice posted on Keelham Food Hall's Facebook page reads: "Unfortunately due to financial situations the decision has been taken at least for the moment to close Keelham Food Hall, Keelham Kitchen, Kind at Keelham and Knead Pizzeria.

"There is hope that a new buyer will step up and continue the shop and re employ a great deal of the staff but these things don't happen overnight unfortunately so please bear with us. I'm sure further details will be released as they become available.

"On a personal note as an employee of Keelham and a local.... it is a shop and brand I would like to see continue as I'm sure many of you feel the same, its been with us for many years now and albeit changed management / ownership a couple of times its a place that offered produce and products not found in other shops in the area. I've enjoyed working there and working alongside the other staff members."

A notice has also been placed on the doors of the premises stating it is 'temporarily closed until further notice'.

North Yorkshire County Councillor David Noland, whose ward the farm shop is in said: “We don’t have the full facts about the closure, whether it will be temporary or otherwise. This must be a terrible shock though for staff who were counting on the work and pay at Keelham over this period. I hope that they can find similar or better jobs elsewhere, in Skipton.

"I have only shopped at Keelham or eaten in the café a couple of times over the years and there was a good range on offer but very little I think that you couldn’t buy in town. Residents had told me that prices seemed to have risen over the last couple of years and this may have been a result of the change of ownership.

"Hopefully some of the Keelham shoppers will turn to shops in Skipton Town centre and boost trade there.”

Skipton town councillor Brian McDaid, who is also assistant general secretary for the union, AEGIS, which looks after Skipton Building Society, Computershare and Yorkshire Building Society employees across the country, said he was happy to offer any advice from his union background to staff at Keelham Food Hall who were losing their jobs. He can be contacted on: cllr.brian.mcdaid@skiptontowncouncil.gov.uk

North Yorkshire Councillor Andy Solloway, whose ward adjoins Cllr Noland's  Skipton North & Embsay-with-Eastby ward added: "It was sad to hear this news and I feel very upset for the staff there, some of whom live in my ward. I have heard they are a great team of people and this is distressing news just after Christmas."

The company was originally opened and run by Victoria Robertshaw and her brother, James, on June 24, 2015. The site had previously been home to Nicholas Smith's garage, petrol station and car showroom which went on the market in 2010. Victoria and James resigned as Keelham directors in 2019 while James continued to run the family's original Keelham Farm Shop, in Thornton, Bradford, which now runs under the name Robertshaws.

Current directors according to Companies House are: Gerard Downes, Alistair Wellock, Josephine Wellock and James Worrall.

The farm shop and food hall is situated opposite a site which has planning permission for a filling station, shop and car wash. The plans had been refused by the former Craven District Council in October last year. In August this year the decision was overturned following a successful appeal by Brookfield Property (Holdings) Ltd to the Planning Inspectorate.

Keelham Food Hall owners have been asked for a comment.