Upmarket organic food store Fresh and Wild is closing its Bristol branch because of a lack of profit.

The organic supermarket and restaurant, in Clifton, which employs 57 people and has been open since December 2003, may shut by the end of September.

American owner Whole Foods Market, which bought the Clifton store near the Triangle in 2004, is carrying out a 30-day consultation with staff to decide its fate.

It is not yet known what will happen to the shop if it closes, although its owners have previously stated their desire to turn it into a Whole Foods branch.

In 2006, entrepreneur John Mackey, the boss of the firm, said Bristol was one of four stores he wanted to set up across the country – Edinburgh, Cambridge and Oxford were the others.

A statement from Whole Foods Market said: "Fresh and Wild and Whole Foods Market are proposing to close the Bristol store because the location has not met profitability goals.

"A decision on the future of the store will be taken after the Company has consulted with team members to discuss the proposal.

"In the event that the decision is taken to close the store, Whole Foods Market plans to work with team members to explore alternative employment opportunities.

"During this period and in the future, Whole Foods Market remains committed to expanding the brand and its presence in the UK."

Organic food has shown popularity in Bristol in recent years and the city is home to national body the Soil Association.

But despite its environmental benefits – it is produced without the use of oil-generated fertilisers – the relatively high costs of the food have put off many people.

With food costs rising as a result of rocketing oil prices and families around the country feeling the pinch during the credit crunch, luxuries such as organic food have been sacrificed in favour of cheaper options.

Rob Maynard, a spokesman for the Soil Association, said that Fresh and Wild's struggle to survive did not mark a negative turn in fortunes for the organic movement.

He said: "There have been lots of questions raised as to whether organic will suffer as a result of rising oil prices but we have not seen a major drop.

"In fact, many producers are doing really well, especially in places such as local farmers' markets where strong relationships can be created with customers.

"It's sad to see Fresh and Wild struggling because they had some very good principles behind the store but the high welfare meat is very expensive.

"But this doesn't mean that organic food on the whole is facing a downturn – in fact, the lack of fertilisers means they are not victims of the high oil prices which non-organic farmers face.

"We will have to see what the next season brings but over the long term I think that organic farming and food will be much better value for many people."