THE owners of a Lake District restaurant have announced its permanent closure.

Steam Bistro in Coniston is no longer in business after ten years.

With the ‘heaviest of hearts’, the owners shared the news with customers via a Facebook post.

The couple said: “There are no words to describe how this decision feels, after nearly a decade we are, letting you all know we are calling it a day on Steam.”

The village café and bistro offered breakfast, brunch and all-day lunches but were best known for their pop-up supper club evenings.

Their farewell post cited ‘many reasons’ why they have chosen to shut down, including a struggle to find staff members and the tripling costs of power and ingredients.

They said the reality is that 'little businesses are run by real people who have put every bit of themselves into what they do, only to fall at these hurdles through no fault of their own'.

One of the biggest problems the restaurant faced was a result of seeing 60 per cent of the UK's hospitality workforce leave the industry after the Covid-19 pandemic, they said.

The owners spoke about the 'many sleepless nights spent wondering how to make their business work' and how they tried everything to stay open. From offering takeaways and changing hours to working overtime, Steam carried on as long as possible.

They said: “The world has changed around us, including a pandemic, we’ve adapted, we’ve ridden the storms, we’ve done takeouts, we’ve cut the working week, we’ve shifted to daytime trade to be able to staff Steam, we’ve worked 16 hour days to still offer pop up evenings to keep our original vision alive. But ultimately the shift has been too much, not just for us, but for many independents like us.”

The owners said a 'huge thank you' to all of the customers and the ‘absolute hero’ members of the team who supported the restaurant over the years. 

“We wanted to be the best we could be, and you helped us to be that," they said.

“The meals you ate and enjoyed. The celebrations you chose to have with us. The kind words you gave to us when times were tough. My soul was full to bursting feeding you all.”

Their goodbye ended with a plea to customers to keep supporting the little businesses who carry on in the ‘crappiest of times’.