Popular County Derry shop closes temporarily due to rising energy costs
The shop announced the move in a Facebook post last week.
A popular County Derry business has confirmed it has taken the decision to close temporarily due to soaring energy costs.
Agnew's ice-cream shop took to social media on Sunday night to confirm that it will be temporarily closing to the public.
The Magherafelt-based business also said difficulties in sourcing key ingredients has led to the decision to close for some time.
“Due to us being unable to source some key ingredients for our ice-cream and the cost of energy crisis, we will be temporarily closing the shop,” read a post on Facebook.
“We will update you all as to when we can resume the production of our homemade vanilla and flavoured ice-cream and when we are opening again through Instagram and Facebook.”
A spokesperson for the Rainey Street premises added that Jaunty's Diner will still be operating as usual.
Agnew's ice-cream was first established in 1916 and is well-known throughout the area.
The shop also sells a range of hot drinks, sweets, doughnuts and other confectionary.
The announcement was met with sadness with many regular customers describing the news as 'awful' and 'terrible'.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has called for the Executive to be restored to help support local businesses and to protect jobs.
The East Derry MLA said: “The latest monthly outlook from Ulster Bank paints a bleak picture of the impacts of the soaring costs on doing business.
“Stark figures from NISRA have also outlined a decrease in the monthly number of employees on pay rolls, falling for the first time in over a year.
"We need an Executive formed now to immediately protect jobs and support businesses.
“The DUP’s boycott has blocked any efforts by local ministers to support businesses while they have also undermined the opportunities afforded by the Protocol to create jobs.
"Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive today to support workers, families and businesses through this crisis.”