THE WINCHESTER Bakery has closed in a high profile shock to the high street.

The bakery had survived two years having first opened outside the Buttercross in April 2022.

Now Dhan Tamang, a well-known entrepreneur, is taking over the building and converting it into a new cafe. The reasons for the bakery's closure are currently unknown.

Nick Ekins, of Moorside Cafe Management, the previous owner of Winchester Bakery, said: "We would like to thank the Winchester Bakery team for their dedication and hard work during what has been a challenging period for the hospitality sector.

"We are excited to see Dhan bring his vision to this historic location and wish him and his team every success with Kneaded."

Dhan Tamang is taking over the former site of the Winchester Bakery (Image: Charles Elliman) Speaking to the Chronicle, Dhan said: "This opportunity came up, so I heard Winchester Bakery was closing up and I thought, 'Ooh, I'm interested to do it!

"I've been in this industry, you know coffee, coffee shops, cafe industry for around  17, 18 years. I thought, 'Winchester needs something really cool, other than a bakery.'

The business is expected to open in late November and Dhan said people need to look out for his hot chocolate. He said: "I could claim we do the best hot chocolate, Belgian hot chocolate, but this will be next-level hot chocolate!"