I read your article "Has Ludlow had its day?" (Caterer, 10 August, page 11) with interest. Ludlow has for a long time been a busy market town attracting visitors from both overseas and the UK and its reputation as a foodie destination is justified not because of the restaurants that may or may not be here but because of the wealth of local producers, the farmers' markets, the smaller bistros and public houses and one other asset: the people who live here.
For every Ludlow, Padstow and Cumbria there will come a time during the year when trade slackens, visitors stay at home and tables fill more slowly. In this small town, 140 miles from the capital, you can be sure that during this time we're full to the brim with supportive locals, all of whom will venture out on a wet Tuesday evening happy to avoid the crowds. How many other market towns can boast that?
Ludlow is ripe for fresh, young talent. To quote in the article that Ludlow may have had its day is short-sighted. The area has so much to offer. There are many opportunities here for new chefs, there are reputations to be made and future foundations to be set. The decision for us to leave has been extremely hard, but something we have to do. As yet, we don't know whether we're brave or foolish.
Whoever arrives in Ludlow in the future can be guaranteed one thing - there's no finer small town in this part of the country in which to run a restaurant. The support from suppliers, producers and residents is outstanding. We only wish the support from certain journalists was the same.
Claire Bosi
Joint-patron, Hibiscus, Ludlow, Shropshire
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