Sweet taste of Herefordshire

There’s no fudging the issue, county visitors are set to get a sweet taste of Herefordshire thanks to a new initiative which kicks off this month.

Hereford’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC), located in the shadow of the city’s majestic cathedral, is at the centre of a drive to make sure county visitors get a real taste of Herefordshire.

The county’s bed and breakfast operators and hoteliers are being encouraged to stock up with small packs of locally made fudge they can leave out as tasty treats for their guests.

“We’re going to start stocking the packs of fudge and will be taking orders for them. We’ll also be distributing these packs of fudge through our network of TICs around the county,” said Alan Simpson, who runs Hereford TIC.

“It’s the small things that make the difference and we’re hoping these packs of fudge will leave a lasting impression on the tastebuds of county visitors which will bring them back again and again,” added Alan.

Hoteliers and bed and breakfast operators are being encouraged to offer the small packs of fudge as a gift from the county by leaving them on bedside cabinets and dining tables and just about anywhere that guests relax.

“Herefordshire is a popular tourist destination with many attractions. However, that shouldn’t stop us doing all we can to attract more visitors and encourage the visitors we have to come back,” said Gail Calthrop, from Wormbridge-based Country Fudge, which is providing the tasty treats.

“We know tourists like the fudge we produce as they buy bigger packs of our fudge from the various outlets in the county, so, we thought it would be good to make smaller packs available for hoteliers and bed and breakfast operators to hand out as gifts.

“The fudge we make is produced with as many home-grown ingredients as possible so it’s a real taste of the county,” she added.

The initiative has the backing of Pauline Diplock, from Hidelow House Cottages, near Bromyard, which attracts many hundreds of visitors a year and scooped the Flavours of Herefordshire Self Caterer of The Year Award in 2005.

“What better way is there than to tie in with the Tourist Information Centre which is at the heart of tourism in the county?”  said Pauline, who collected the first packs of fudge at the launch of the initiative at Hereford TIC.

Bed and breakfast operators and hoteliers should contact either Alan at the TIC on (01432) 268430 or Gail at Country Fudge on (01981) 570644 to order their stocks of fudge for their guests.