IT was named as one of Britain’s top farm shops and appeared in a popular TV series that described it as an “organic idyll”.

But the award-winning Warborne Organic Farm in the New Forest is axing its retail outlet with the loss of 18 jobs after falling victim to the recession.

People struggling to make ends meet have stopped using the farm in Warborne Lane, Boldre, and now buy their food from supermarkets.

The shop, which describes itself as an Aladdin’s cave of good quality, competitively priced organic produce, is due to shut after Christmas.

Farmer George Heathcote, whose family bought the farm in 1951 and went organic in 1997, said: “The market has moved away from us.

“Everyone knows about the local food movement and that they should be buying good food but not enough people are prepared to put their hands in their pockets.”

Hampshire County Council looked at buying the 180-acre farm and leasing it back to the workers in a bid to save their jobs.

However, land in the Boldre area costs about £20,000 an acre and the idea was dropped.

The possibility of keeping the shop open by selling food grown outside the farm has also been ruled out. Planning policies enforced by New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) only permit the sale of food produced on site.

The same policies resulted in the closure last March of an organic shop in Sway.

A series of enforcement notices from the NPA prevented the owner, ex-Formula One champion Jody Sheckter, from selling produce grown five miles away on land beside Warborne Farm.

Last year Mr Heathcote’s business was the star of Farm Life, a 13-part documentary series shown on the Sky’s Animal Planet channel.

Speaking at the time an Animal Channel spokesman said: “The series follows the lives of George and Kate Heathcote and their three young children as they farm and live an organic idyll.

“Their fully diverse farm reflects the modern view of working with nature to produce the finest quality food without being a detriment to the environment.”

Earlier this year a survey of Britain’s 50 farm shops praised outstanding variety of homegrown organic vegetables sold by Mr Heathcote.