A new cafe is set to open in Billericay High Street as a longstanding cookshop closes its doors.

The cafe is set to open behind the Foxcroft building, replacing the Billericay Cookshop and Emporium.

Huttons Catering, which also runs the courtyard cafe in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, has applied to change the building to use the basement and ground floor.

Trevor Draper has run the cookshop and emporium for more than a decade with his wife Lesley.

He said: “We would like to thank our local customers for the past 12 years in the town and thank them for their support, but alas there were just too few of them with the changing face of consumerism in terms of internet shopping and stores like John Lewis and Waitrose trying to take more business.

“It is a competitive business and it is very difficult for independents to survive.”

He warned that if shoppers wanted Billericay High Street to retain its independent shops, customerswould have to change their shopping habits to ensure they survive, but he acknowledged times are also tough for consumers.

The cookshop, which has two members of staff, will close at the end of the February.

Mr Draper, who is a former chairman of Billericay Chamber of Commerce, is taking the opportunity to retire from retail and move to Worcestershire.

He added that the chamber of commerce will also be wound down.

Roger Green and Company solicitors, which is also based in the Foxcroft building will remain.

The application is set to be decided by the end of March.