THERE are hopes that Wellington could flourish in becoming Somerset's dedicated "Food Town" and play host to an annual food festival rich with local produce.

Following a visit by town councillors to the super Food Town of Ludlow, the possibility of Welling ton joining the growing scheme was discussed at a meeting of Wellington Town Council on Monday.

The visit is linked to a recommendation from the Wellington Economic Partnership that the town apply to join Cittaslow, an international movement of towns working towards a set of goals to improve quality of life.

The council's chairman Dave Mitton said the idea of establishing Wellington as a Food Town would involve it becoming the outlet for local food producers and being developed as a place known for the excellence of its food and drink.

He said that open spaces in Wellington could be used for a food festival, which could po-tentially draw in people from a wide area.

Cllr Bob Bowrah suggested residents should be involved in coming up with a name for the event.

Running alongside the plans, Cllr Mitton said individuals and businesses could be encouraged to become part of the Slow Food Movement, which would complement the Food Town plans, a food festival and Cittaslow.

The council agreed to look into whether a representative from the Somerset Convivium of the Slow Food Movement could have a stall at the Food Expo event planned for December 2 in Wellington to raise awareness of the scheme.