Taste Café at Chesil Beach closing as parking charges spiral

The Taste Café at the Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre on Portland Beach Road, Portland, has announced it will close on Thursday, August 31 after 10 years of trading.

It is run in partnership with the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

A customer of the café said they had been told the café is closing ‘as a direct consequence of the council’s extortionate car parking charges'.

Another person said that the parking fees had made popping in for a coffee 'prohibitive'.

On April 28 new parking charges were introduced at Dorset Council-owned car parks across the county.

Customers arriving by car to the café and parking in the adjacent Chesil car park now have to pay £3 to park for an hour during summer months, which has increased from £1.50 an hour.

Announcing the closure on social media, the Taste restaurant team says ‘now is the right time to consolidate’, focusing on its sister businesses Taste Café at Dorset Museum & Taste Conference/Banqueting and Weddings, which have operated for the last two years within Dorset Museum in Dorchester.

“We would like to thank all our wonderful customers, old and new, who have supported us at Taste Café over the past 10 years, not forgetting the great support from the Dorset Wildlife Trust team of staff and volunteers.

“We hope that we’ll continue to see many of you at our sister site, Taste Café at Dorset Museum, and of course, on Chesil Beach throughout August this summer!”

The cafe is popular with both dog owners and their pets (Image: NQ)

The café has been awarded gold and silver tourism excellence awards in Dorset and the south west of England and said it has received ‘many fantastic reviews’ left by customers on TripAdvisor and Google.

When contacted by the Echo, a spokesman for the café said they had ‘no comment’ to make regarding the closure.

Customers have said how sad they are to see the café close.

One said: “So sorry you are closing. Over the years my friends and I have enjoyed great food and coffee and lovely and hard working staff. Thank you to you all, we shall miss you.”

Another said: “That’s such a shame – it’s one of our favourite lunch spots.”

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s head of development, Marc Kativu-Smith, said the Trust is looking for a new café operator.

He added: “Taste Café have announced that they will be leaving the Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre after 10 years in successful partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust.

“Taste have been an important part of the Visitor Centre, welcoming visitors and providing an outstanding quality of food and service with their fantastic team.

“Taste will be leaving to focus on other exciting opportunities and Dorset Wildlife Trust wish them all of the best in any new and existing ventures. Taste Café will continue to operate at the Wild Chesil Centre until 31 August.

“The Centre will remain open as normal for visitors, school visits and events and will continue to offer teas and coffees until a new café operator is found.”