THE owner of a coffee trailer that is set to replace a mobile unit in the Forest of Bere has said she still intends on opening, despite not being able to pitch up this week leaving the spot empty.

The Forestry Commission also said it remains “fully committed” to its newly contracted coffee bar after taking the decision to axe the former tenants from the beauty spot in the Meon Valley.

Earlier this month bosses at the government department came under fire for giving Bolly Saffova-Said and her husband Zed the boot after seven years of running their Great Big Food Company trailer at Hundred Acre Wood, West Walk, in Wickham.

The couple lost their spot after it was put out for tender, and Seahorse Café Bar was due to begin trading in their place on Monday, April 25.

However, the coffee bar, which also has a pitch at Portchester Castle, did not show up on Monday, leaving walkers without refreshments.

READ MORE: Popular couple say emotional goodbye to loyal customers at Hundred Acre Wood after refreshment trailer is turfed off by Forestry Commission

Owner Sam White, who started her small business in November 2019, said delays in fitting solar panels to the van has meant it won’t be able to occupy the site for at least another two weeks.

She said: "We are having some solar panels fitted to our van and it’s taking longer than expected so we think it will be a couple of weeks but we don’t have a confirmed date."

The delays sparked speculation among residents as to whether the Commission had made a U-turn on its decision, but Forestry bosses have moved to insist they are still pressing ahead with the change as planned.

A spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to the new catering contractor at Forestry England’s West Walk site and are discussing a new start date with them.”

On Sunday, April 24 more than 1,000 people turned out to say goodbye to Bolly and Zed. The duo gained support from residents after news of their pending departure went public earlier this month and a petition was started.

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However, such calls were met by a ‘wall of silence’, with the Commission standing firm on its decision.

To make matters worse, Bolly and Zed, who ran their food truck seven days a week, have not found a new site, leaving the couple in limbo.

Bolly said: "We were hoping that someone from the Forestry Commission would see the petition, look into it and maybe offer us an alternative site. We had been there seven years and loved working with them, we had such a fantastic relationship, and both love the forest.

“But sadly, it has just been a silent wall from the Forestry, which is really disappointing.”

A spokesperson for the Commission, added: “As a public body we are legally required to periodically ask all contractors to retender to ensure fairness in the awarding and holding of contracts. In this case, the arrangement with the current caterer had expired and we gave them notice in January of the requirement to retender. This process was conducted openly and fairly in line with government rules.

“The new catering contractor was successful in the tender process for a variety of reasons including food hygiene, staff qualifications, product quality, and sustainability requirements. Price was only one small part of the process and did not solely determine the overall decision.”

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