Organisers of the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival have announced this year’s event has been cancelled - saying there are other ways to promote local produce that would have more impact.

The annual festival, which has been held for 15 years, was due to take place over the weekend of September 14 and 15 in the Villa Marina Gardens.

In an email sent out to would-be festival participants, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said: ‘After careful consideration, we have chosen not to proceed with the festival this year.’

DEFA acknowledged that the news may come as a ‘disappointment given the festival's established presence in the annual events calendar’.

But it said it had ‘become evident through analysis and feedback’ there were other opportunities to enhance the promotion and support of locally produced food.

It said that for this year, the allocated festival budget will now be redirected to ‘further bolster’ the food and drink sector through a number of initiative which it said would aim for a ’more significant impact’ DEFA said the department would have an increased presence at the Southern Agricultural Show on July 27 and 28 and at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show on August 9 and 10.

It said it is also organising a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event provisionally scheduled for September 23 which it said will provide food businesses with the opportunity to showcase their products to both local and off-island food buyers.