Cheesemongers shop closing down
The popular Canterbury Cheesemongers shop in the Arts Centre will close in July.
Owners Sarah and Martin Aspinwall said they would not renew their lease, citing burnout and difficulties operating in a post-quake landscape.
The news comes as Christchurch hospitality businesses are increasingly worried about surviving with at least 30 more bars and eateries due to open in the CBD over the coming months.
Recent casualties have included old hands like well known chef Jonny Schwass, who earlier this year admitted misapplying tax payments totalling more than $300,000 before his company went out of business last year.
There have also been several cases of new premises – such as The Good Goat gastro pub in Victoria St – closing within months of opening.
Aspinwall said Cheesemongers had never been able to go back to its prequake sales levels. The outlet, which specialises in storing, maturing, and selling cheese, had many tourists who came in to admire their cheese collection without spending any money. ‘‘Sometimes we feel like we’re a museum of cheese.’’ Aspinwall said many regulars had also told her they were not coming to the city because of roadworks.
The Aspinwalls started Canterbury Cheesemongers in 2000 from the back of a refrigerated van at the Arts Centre and farmers’ markets. Two years later, they outgrew their mobile shop and moved into a space on Salisbury St, returning to the Arts Centre after the September 2010 earthquake. The couple was considering options including going back to the van business or a smaller shop.