A bar at a new £467,000 food hall has left after less than six months.

The Moondance Bar was one of eight tenants to join the Lockmeadow complex in Barker Road, Maidstone, last November, but officially closed on April 22 and is now hidden behind metal shutters.

After offering a new lease of life for owner Dayzee Potter - who set up the Moondance Cocktail Bar in Rochester High Street in 2019 - and her business after it was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Ms Potter has stepped away from the food hall.

She said: “I’m sorry to be leaving Love Food, it was an exciting opportunity to be part of such a new initiative at Lockmeadow, however I have chosen to focus more on my chain of performing arts schools for the foreseeable future.

“We plan on expanding further into Kent over the next few years and it requires my focus at this time.

“I am also working with Marie Curie as part of their UK wide health and safety team which, I’m sure you’ll agree, is such a worthy use of my time and expertise.

“I have built great friendships with the other unit owners and I’m sure I’ll remain a regular customer.”

The bar offered alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, milkshakes and juices, as well as finger-food.

It is set to be replaced by the Kent Drinks company, who Ms Potter says will be a “great addition”.

The food hall was part of a £900,000 regeneration of Maidstone town centre by Maidstone Borough Council, which also saw a new children’s play area built outside the complex.