AN AWARD-winning B&B has shut up shop as the owner blamed their “difficult location” for a lack of passing trade.
Just weeks ago, it was named one of the top 50 cafés in the country at the 2025 Small Business Awards.
The Dove Inn, a gluten-free café and B&B in Norfolk, closed on Friday after two and a half years working with “beautiful people”.
Sonya Resemblance took over the inn in Alburgh, Norfolk, in July 2023, serving brunch, lunch and Sunday roasts to the local community.
The café also held two prizes from the Norfolk category of Luxlife Magazine’s Food and Drink Awards for Emerging Hospitality Business of the Year and B&B and Pub of the Year.
Its menu was completely gluten-free, and Sonya was proud to offer a range “that was safe for all those like me that really struggle to eat out”.
In her closing down announcement, she wrote: “Thank you everyone for your lovely comments. We have loved every minute of cooking, baking and serving you.”
Sonya said the business had “created jobs and offered training opportunities” as well as putting on “events and socialising that are massively important for people’s mental health“.
“We are only sad that we just couldn’t make this all come together at this location, I can only blame the location,” she concluded.
The business announced it was struggling late last month, writing on social media: “We are not immune to the difficulties that are occurring within retail and hospitality at this current time, but we have battled too hard to build our business over here… to not fight to survive this.
“We know that we are in a difficult location. You drive past us at 60, we hear it all the time that you have been past 100 times before you come in, but once you have been in once, you keep coming, and we are so grateful.”
Despite this last-ditch effort from “great” customers, Sonya made the “sad” announcement on Friday January 16, with hundreds of messages of support pouring in.
“So so sorry to hear this! Thank you for giving us all somewhere so lovely to meet up and all the lovely food. Really hope you might be back one day,” wrote one loyal customer.
