Forestry Commission left humiliated after Seahorse Coffee Bar ditches Hundred Acre Wood spot after lasting just over a month at site having replaced popular long-standing couple

The government agency was branded ‘disgusting’ by campaigners after announcing Seahorse Coffee Bar as the pitch winners during a bitter tender process that saw Bolly Saffova-Said and her husband Zed booted off the site after seven years at Hundred Acre Wood, West Walk, at the Forest of Bere in Wickham on April 24.

The Forestry Commission stood firm on its decision to exile Bolly and Zed as supporters racked up a petition of 1,500 supporters calling for them to stay.

The agency announced it was ‘very excited’ to be welcoming the new business, Seahorse Coffee Bar, to the site in May.

After waiting for emotions to calm down amid clashes from rival supporters, owner of Portchester-based Seahorse, Sam White, finally pitched up at the end of May.

By July 4, though, Seahorse’s ill-fated reign at West Walk was over.

Speaking to The News, Sam said: ‘I don’t have any regrets, you have to try these things. It just wasn’t profitable enough for us. Weekends were very busy but the footfall just wasn’t there in the week.

‘Sometimes you have to know when to cut your losses. This is business. For Zed and Bolly it was a lifestyle thing and they did not employ people and have to pay wages so could keep all the profit themselves, whereas we have different sites and have to pay people.

‘The economic climate did not help and neither did fuel costs.’

Responding to how the Forestry Commission took the blow, Sam said: ‘They were disappointed when we told them but they understood. I suppose they have to go back to the drawing board now.’

Sam also admitted it was ‘less stressful’ now they were no longer at West Walk amid revelations she was ‘still getting messages from crazy people’ angry at Bolly and Zed being turfed off the pitch.

Meanwhile, Bolly said she was ‘shocked’ after hearing of Seahorse’s abrupt decampment from the spot she ‘loved’.

‘What a shame. I feel sorry for the customers, they deserve something there,’ she said.

‘I have never met the lady from Seahorse but people think it is easy to start up somewhere new. They don’t see how much work we had to put in building up a reputation. It’s not easy to start a brand new trailer. I’m sorry they have left.’

After a tough period of not knowing what they would do, Bolly and Zed have since fallen on their feet after a ‘Cinderella story’ which saw them offered work at ‘beautiful’ Meon Springs, Whitewool Farm in East Meon.

Delivering a message to the Forestry Commission, Bolly added: ‘The management were not listening and did not know the situation. You don’t need to fix what’s not broken.’

SEE ALSO: Prince Charles in city to honour Falklands heroes

A spokeswoman for the commission said: ‘Seahorse Coffee Bar decided not to carry on trading at West Walk. We are focused on developing an improved offer for our valued visitors to our woodland.

‘it may be re-tendered - we’re considering our options at the moment, our priority is to make long-term, sustainable improvements at West Walk.’