HEREFORD Food Festival's director says she's heartbroken to cancel the event for the second year, despite previously being optimistic it could go ahead.

Sophie Sherief, organiser of the festival which was set to take place at Hereford Racecourse in August, said she was devastated but was left with no choice.

"Those very few people close to me know the work that goes into the Hereford Food Festival and with no guarantee until post July 19 that we can go ahead and in times of still such uncertainty – I have made the decision to cancel this year's event," she said.

The festival, which aims to celebrate the best food and drink Herefordshire has to offer, cannot continue to be planned as the financial risk is too big.

"It is thought, and we seriously all hope, that all restrictions will lift by July 19, but I cannot take the risk of only six weeks to plan Herefordshire's biggest event which usually welcomes over 10,000 people," she said.

"I would risk bankruptcy, and with my children at the front of my mind, I cannot take this risk."

"It’s important for me to reiterate here that I am a one man band. With the help and support of my family, and friends only, we are not a huge business with multiple pots of money for situations like this to cover us “in case” we had to cancel a day or week before. It’s just me and I truly hope you can see my reasoning behind the cancellation."

Thanking people and businesses for their support, Ms Sherief said the festival would return in 2022.