The soon-to-close Donkey pub near Elstead “did not have a long-term sustainable future”, its brewery owners have said.

The Donkey in Charles Hill between Farnham and Elstead will pull its last pint and dish up its final dinners on Mother’s Day – Sunday, March 10.

All tables have been booked for every Sunday lunch until then, and more than 100 people responded after news of the pub’s closure was shared on the Herald Facebook page.

People expressed their support and shared fond memories of good times and delicious food at The Donkey.

One person said: “So sad! I used to go there as a child with my parents to see the donkeys often after riding on Frensham Common.

“When my own children came along we would take them for lunch and also to see the donkeys.

“Many happy memories.”

The decision to close the pub was taken by owners Admiral Taverns, a community pub group based in Chester.

An Admiral Taverns spokesperson said: “We are strong believers in the importance of community pubs and our focus is always on helping our licensees to run sustainable pub businesses.

“After careful consideration however, we felt in this instance that The Donkey did not have a long-term sustainable future and therefore we’ve taken the decision to put the pub up for sale.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Lee and Helen for all their hard work over the last 25 years and we wish them the very best of luck in the future.”

However, some people have blamed the pub’s closure on the lack of returning customers. One Facebook user commented: “Lots of people talking about when they went years ago. It’s closing because you don’t go now!”

Admiral owns two other pubs in the area: The Trafalgar in Aldershot and Hawley Arms in Farnborough. Both are currently under offer.