A high-end grocer that anchored the Valencia Bridgeport Marketplace is closing its doors and leaving town on February 25.

Bristol Farms, a specialty foods market that strove, according to its website, “to provide the finest assortment and highest quality fresh and specialty foods from around the world – in a warm, friendly, and uniquely designed atmosphere with service and value that exceeds the expectations of our customers,” will be no more.

The store, which opened in November 2008, had just been awarded “Large Business of the Year” by the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, posted a sign Wednesday thanking its customers for their support and announcing that February 25 would be its last day.

Calls to Bristol Farms corporate offices were unanswered Thursday afternoon.

The news blazed across the social networking site Facebook  Thursday night, with several people commenting on the high prices and constraints of the current economy, despite the quality of the foods offered. Many lamented the loss of another unique store, but others added that they saw it coming from the day the doors opened.

There is no information available about what might fill the space in the Marketplace once Bristol Farms leaves. During the time Bristol Farms was open, Trader Joe’s relocated to a larger location at Bouquet Canyon Road and Newhall Ranch Road and the natural food retailer Sprouts announced it intended to take over the old location of the Mervyn’s department store on Magic Mountain Parkway.