ORGANISERS of the Marlborough Food and Drink Festival have confirmed it will no longer take place.

The event held on The Common saw hundreds of foodies descend on the town to see dozens of local and celebrity chefs whip up culinary delights and give cookery demonstrations.

However, John Rhodes, director of Garden Events Company, which has been organising the event in May for the past two years, has decided to bring the festival to an end because it is not cost effective.

As well as stopping the Marlborough festival the one in Swindon at Lydiard Park will no longer run either.

A spokesman said: “The organiser of the event, John Rhodes, took the decision that it was not cost effective to put a further show on at either Marlborough or Swindon but he will be focussing his attention on Cheltenham.”

Mr Rhodes said he created the Swindon Food and Drink Festival because of the level of interest the town’s residents showed in the other events, at Marlborough and Cheltenham.

However, Wiltshire chefs will still be invited to showcase their talents at the Cheltenham event which takes place from June 10-12.

The first food and drink festival in Marlborough in 2014 attracted around 6,000 people. Last year, the number was less due to poor weather.

But the event saw big names such as MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace and 2012 Great British Bake Off quarter finalist Cathryn Dresser come to the town. They were also in the company of TV presenter Stefan Gates and son of chef Rick Stein, Jack.

The year before Jay Rayner attended as well as Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo.