A sandwich bar owner whose business has been a fixture in Trowbridge for the past 25 years is retiring. 

Tony Pinto, the owner of Intermezzo outside the Fore Street entrance to The Shires shopping centre is calling time on his business.

He has put up a poster telling his many customers he will be retiring at the age of 70 for health reasons.

His final day at work will be Tuesday, September 24.

Tony, who drives a 42-mile return route to Trowbridge from his home in Bristol, said: “We are so grateful for the many years of custom and loyalty.

“I won’t miss the journey, particularly when it's dark during the winter, but I will really miss the people of Trowbridge.

“They have been really nice and friendly and really good to us over the 25-year period that we have been here.

“I personally have only been here three years. My wife Sally did 15 to 16 years before me, so it’s the end of a long era.

“Everybody knows us in Trowbridge. Everybody has come here at least once or twice.

“I spent 20 years working in Bath and thought they were nice people but I would put the people in Trowbridge as being nicer than people from Bath. They have been good to us.”

Tony Pinto is closing his Intermezzo sandwich bar after 25 years as he retires on Tuesday, September 24.Tony Pinto is closing his Intermezzo sandwich bar after 25 years as he retires on Tuesday, September 24. (Image: John Baker)

Tony added: “I will be taking three months off to review the situation and then decide what I am going to do with the rest of my life.

“Definitely it won’t be sitting down at home painting and decorating.

“I have got one foot in the grave. I am intending that the other foot doesn’t catch up with it but I will do something.”

Tony’s unit outside The Shires will be taken over by Rico and Morgan, who intend to open a Caribbean street food business there.

“If you are into goat curry and jerk chicken and various other dishes they do over there, Reggae, Reggae sauces and everything, I think you’ll enjoy it and I wish them luck.

“It has been good to us and I hope it will be good to them for the next 25 years.”

In the meantime, Tony has sold all of his equipment to a former employee who plans to open a new sandwich shop at the Castle Street shopping centre mall.