A TRADER is boycotting Dorchester Show after being told he will not able to cook on his stall.

John Pepper, 36, who has been visiting the show for 20 years since starting with his mother-in-law's company as a YTS trainee, says it is not worth paying £300 for three pitches in the food hall at the show this year because he cannot sell freshly cooked burgers and sausages.

His company, Somerset Ducks, has been selling duck burgers and duck and orange pies from its stall in the food tent, in order to tempt people to buy his firm's cold duck products.

But show organisers have said he cannot sell hot food because the outside caterers at the event pay a premium for their catering rights and it would not be fair to charge them extra when people paying the lower food hall rate can also sell hot food.

Mr Pepper said: "We can still cook at other shows, but we have been told we cannot cook at Dorchester, which is a shame because it's a nice show with nice people and we enjoy going.

"Honiton Show also told us we could not cook in the tent, but the food hall became just stalls with no atmosphere and people selling the more unusual products pulled out.

"It really isn't worth us coming to Dorchester if we cannot sell the duck burgers - people come every year just to eat them."

He added: "The only way people will be able to get hold of our products now is on the website - we don't deal with supermarkets and the only other shop selling our duck sausages is Harrods.

"It's the general public who will suffer, because the food hall is one of the main attractions at any agricultural show and if people aren't allowed to offer freshly cooked products it just won't be the same."

Sam Shaw, secretary of Dorchester Show, said: "We had to crack down on this because it wasn't fair on the burger vans, the people selling crepes, or fish and chips or whatever.

"It is such a huge event that there are lots of people to feed and so the caterers pay upwards of £600 for their pitch, because of the amount of business they attract, whereas the people in the food tent pay £95 per pitch to sell cheese, olives, wines and things like that.

"We don't mind people doing tasters of their products, but catering is another matter. However we may consider offering a rate for people who are doing both catering and product selling next year."

Dorchester Show will be held at the Coker's Frome showground on September 6 and 7.