An affordable food service which has been helping residents with food poverty for the last two years is due to close down.

The weekly Wednesday Tavistock Food Hub, at the King’s Centre on Pixon Lane, has fallen victim the very scourge it was set up to tackle – increased costs.

The mantra of the hub in its earlier days was to help people avoid the terrible choice between ‘heating and eating’. Problems with receiving deliveries from generous donors has also added to the issues. However, staff acknowledge the cost-of-living crisis has abated from its worse effects, resulting in fewer visits from members than was the case a year ago.

In a letter to members, Feeding Devon said: “The Wednesday hub has offered highly discounted surplus food for just £5 a bag, plus a fantastic cafe. But as we near our two-year anniversary we will be stepping down.

“Sadly, the cost of providing our weekly service, plus increasing difficulties covering the delivery of food, means that we have had to make the extremely hard decision to close the hub on Wednesday, July 24. This will be our two-year anniversary. The very desperate need for support we saw when we first opened has abated somewhat and we are thankful to see our weekly membership numbers decline, but we do realise that this will still come as a bit of a blow.”

The spokesman added: “We would like to thank our membership for your unfailing positivity and for the friendships that have developed over the last two years. Our team of volunteers will miss you very much.

“I would also like to give a huge thank you to the volunteers who have held this project together. We have thoroughly enjoyed the last couple of years and are very grateful to have been able to play a part in such a positive and friendly community effort.”

The TaviHelps food hub will continue to run on a Saturday at the Red and Black Club in Tavistock between 11am and 12 noon. Just turn up, or for more information email Graham Parker at [email protected] or phone 07545 075942. Tavi Fridge also offers free surplus food six days a week from the library lobby.