JUST as a back stop, Ludlow in Bloom made sure that the judges went away with the best food and drink from the town in their tummies.

A meal of some of the best food from Ludlow followed the tour by ‘in bloom’ judges Mark Wiltshire and Carol Miller.

A three-hour tour that started at Ludlow Museum and included the infants school ended at the Ludlow Women’s Centre where locally produce ham, quiche, potatoes, salad as well as cakes of strawberries were on the menu.

The judges described themselves as ‘well impressed'.

But Ludlow will have to wait until the middle of September when it will discover if it is ‘lucky 13’ when it comes to winning gold awards. In the 14 years that Ludlow has entered the competition it has won 12 golds.

The judges do not just look at the quality of the blooms but also want to see examples of community involvement and support.

Ludlow will discover if it has been successful at the award ceremony at Warwick Castle on Thursday, September 14.