SOME of the biggest cheeses in the food industry are preparing to descend on the area for an important culinary festival.

On the weekend of September 28-29 Chipping Campden will be hosting the British Cheese Festival and Awards.

More than 8,000 cheese lovers and hundreds of producers will be savouring more than 700 British Cheeses ranging from Shropshire Blue to Double Gloucester.

The weekend includes tasting sessions, Britain's largest cheese market, a cheese tossing challenge and industry symposiums.

The event is being held in Campden for the first time after problems with last year's venue, Stow.

Despite a hugely successful festival, which counted the Prince of Wales among thousands of visitors, organisers felt the event was not getting enough support from the town.

The festival and awards are the brainchild of Juliet Harbutt, of Churchill near Chipping Norton, who first organised the event in 1994. She sees the event as being at the vanguard of the beleaguered British food industry. "We need to remind people just how much wonderful British produce, and particularly cheeses are out there," she said.

"The reason I hold the event in small rural towns is to make people open their eyes and realise that if they do not buy British, supporting local farmers and suppliers, the countryside and rural life will disappear.

"I hope that people who come along will be like ambassadors spreading the gospel of British cheese."

To find out more about the festival and awards log on to www.thecheeseweb.com.