The owners of The Shrubbery in Shepton Mallet have announced the hotel, restaurant and bar will close for business on Christmas Eve.

In a Facebook post, the owners said: "Unfortunately, these difficult times have finally caught up with us and sadly, have made it untenable to continue."

The Shrubbery Hotel has played a big part in Shepton's hospitality industry over the years. It was initially built as a Rectory, the used as a doctor's surgery, before being converted to a hotel in the 1950s.

"We would like to thank each and every one of you who have supported us, in many ways, over the years," the owners continued.

The rising cost of living, and the aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic has hit the hospitality industry particularly hard, and there are currently five pubs and bars on the market in Shepton Mallet.

Steven Alton, chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, which represents independent pubs, said many venues would need to trade 20 per cent above pre-pandemic levels "just to stand still" against a backdrop of "crippling inflation and energy costs". "

It's estimated that fifty pubs are closing every month in England and Wales as economic mayhem hits the hospitality industry. Between the end of June and September this year, a total of 150 pubs were either demolished or turned into homes and offices across the UK - close to the 200 pubs which shut in the whole previous six months.