There are two parties bidding to organise this year's Christmas Market in Ashby town centre.

The successful event is held in Market Street - which, in previous years, has been closed off to traffic.

It is an event which attracts large crowds and has been organised by Food Gusto, which is now under new management.

Doncaster-based brothers Kendall and Buckley Harris have already taken on one event in the town, May's Food Gusto event at the Bath Grounds.

The success of that, over the two days of Spring Bank Holiday, prompted them to put forward a bid to stage the Christmas Market.

At a recent meeting of Ashby de la Zouch Town Council's Events & Tourism Committee, the two representatives from Food Gusto addressed councillors.

They said that they had acquired the company and had a wealth of experience in catering and in being an exhibitor at Food Gusto events for the past six years.

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They wish to run Food Gusto in exactly the same format that had been in place with the previous owners.

Also, they have the previous owners' full support and guidance in this first year, as they wish it to be as successful as possible - for the exhibitors, visitors and for Ashby town.

Food Gusto had submitted a draft proposal to the Town Council and are keen to come to an agreement to provide a quality event for the town.

But the committee chair, Cllr Murrae Blair-Park, reported that the Ashby BID had also put forward an initial proposal to run the event - but that this would require more detail before it can be considered 'a credible alternative'.

It was decided that it would not be possible to come to a decision at that meeting and the committee agreed to delegate responsibility to the Chairman of the Committee, the Leader of the Town Council and the Town Clerk to enter into further discussions with both bidders for the Christmas Fair and Market.

The next scheduled meeting is on September 18, but if necessary, an EGM could be called in the meantime.

However, it was felt that it would be possible to deal with any outstanding issues out of Committee.