Pub and roadside cafe close (From The Oxford Times)

Pub and roadside cafe close

8:32am Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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THE future of a popular bikers’ cafe is in doubt after it was forced to close due to money troubles.

Landlord Sean Harris shut the H Cafe, near Berinsfield, on Monday after racking up “substantial” debts.

The 42-year-old, from Benson, had been landlord of the café for almost two years.

He has also closed his pub, The Seven Stars in nearby Marsh Baldon and his business, Harris Hospitality, which ran both operations, has gone into liquidation.

Last night Mr Harris, a father-of-two, said: “We racked up thousands of pounds on credit cards trying to struggle on.

“Eventually we just thought it was a bad idea to keep throwing good money after bad. The cafe has a massive biker history and it’s a real shame it’s had to close.

“Just after we took over people were hit hard by the credit crunch and didn’t want to eat out any more.”

Biker group H Riders is hopeful a new landlord can be found.

The group, which has about 400 members, is named after the cafe, which was previously Fox’s Diner.

Chairman Steve Harding, 59, said: “We’ve had some great times at the cafe. I heard it was losing about £1,000 a week. Unfortunately it became a victim of the recession. Maybe if we had known sooner we could’ve put together a rescue package.”

Adam Perkins works at motorcycle parts shop, MPS Express, which neighbours the cafe.

He said: “The closure will have an effect on us because people would have a cup of tea at the cafe, then come over to have a mooch in the shop. But we’ve been here for ten years and I’m sure we’ll survive.”

Villagers in Marsh Baldon have also been saddened by the closure of the Seven Stars, in The Green, which Mr Harris took over a year ago. It was the only pub in the village.

The pub campaign group Camra has estimated that nationally 39 pubs are closing each week.

Chris Lake, 56, who lives in The Green, said: “Sean has worked really hard and made it absolutely brilliant. The villagers are all gutted.

“Traditionally when something like this happens the owners try to turn the pub into housing, but that is extremely difficult to do when it’s a village’s last pub.”

A spokesman for Admiral Taverns, which owns the Seven Stars, said it was liaising with the landlord about possibly reopening.