Petersfield has said a sad “adios” to a popular pair as a much-loved Latin café-restaurant has closed.

The town has lost a not-so “hidden gem” as Cantina Rosita closed yesterday after three years on Folly Lane.

The Petersfield Award-nominated eatery genuinely offered something different to the town’s culinary scene with its Venezuelan and Latin American food.

But a combination of factors have prompted Venezuelan owner-chef Andrea Kowalski and “super manager” Anna Bennett to call it a day on Cantina.

Maternity leave, relocation and other factors were cited by Anna on Friday in an emotional final day.

She said: “It’s not a secret that things are a bit tough in the hospitality industry at the moment, but it’s down to a few things – we think it’s just run its course, really.”

“It was a bit hard early this week because of the heat but it’s been really lovely today (Friday, June 26).

“A lot of people have come in to say goodbye and to tell us how much they’ll miss us. It’s been a bit emotional.”

Andrew and Anna have been recognisable figures in the town’s food and drink scene for more than a decade as the pair became friends when they worked at Cloisters, now called the Courtyard Bistro, before Covid.

They reunited when Andrea, who fled her South American homeland in 1992, decided to start her own business having long held ambitions about letting up a “small community-based diner”.

Arepas, a staple Venezuelan corn flatbread, were a mainstay of a menu which often included Lebanese and Arabic influences to reflect Andrea’s life, family and travels.

The cantina also got a national boost last year as it was namechecked by The Times after the newspaper named Petersfield the best place to live in Southeast England.