Hereford'S chance to be a big cheese on the culinary events circuit has suffered a major blow with the withdrawal of a national food festival, popularly known as the Cheese Olympics.

The British Cheese Awards, lined up to take place in September, pulled out of Hereford after organisers decided the city did not have a suitable site.

Original plans to hold the two-day event on Castle Green were cancelled when organisers discovered the regulations surrounding its status as an ancient scheduled monument.

Although the cattle market was considered as an alternative, chairman Juliet Harbutt decided to relocate the event to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

She said: "We are very disappointed and disillusioned. We wanted to hold the awards in Hereford.

Cash aid

"We wanted to help regenerate a town. But Hereford needs to be a lot more pro-active and be aware of what is required if they want to attract this type of event. People must have known Castle Green was a Saxon burial ground."

Partner organisations including Herefordshire Council and Advantage West Midlands, who had agreed to put £90,000 toward funding the event, promised to work together to stage an alternative.

Geoff Richmond, food and drink manager at Advantage West Midlands said: "The council and Hereford City Partnership has moved heaven and earth to make the livestock market available.

"If the British Cheese Awards think it is unsuitable we will have to look at another event.

"I don't want to let everyone in Herefordshire down. The county is an ideal location for this type of event. Funding is still available."