RETAIL giant Waitrose could be headed for Hereford with the city's Edgar Street Grid one possible site for a superstore specialising in 'home-grown' produce.

Nigel Burton, head of development at Waitrose, heavily hinted at such a project in an address to the Hereford Conservative Business Forum.

The breakfast meeting at Pengethley last Friday heard how the envisaged superstore would be similar to a scheme the company planned for Truro, Cornwall, where one half of a 'food hall' would sell local products and the other would incorporate a Waitrose branch.

Speaking after the meeting, Virginia Taylor, would-be Tory MP for Hereford said that while 'not particularly keen' on another city supermarket, the financial viability of developing the Edgar Street Grid depended on a major retail initiative.

"I would be very interested to explore the possibility of such a venture with Waitrose," she said.

Mr Burton told the meeting that the company was keen to enter a 'long term relationship' with local food producers and ensure they were able to 'operate at a profit'.

Whilst the Truro project might not be exactly the right model for Hereford, many aspects would be 'transferable' to Hereford, he said.

Roger Metcalf, of the Cornwall Agricultural Council and Taste of Cornwall, told the meeting that the 'food hall' project was about regenerating and sustaining a declining agricultural economy.

The idea, he said, had 'local food' being processed and sold locally instead of being sent far from its source.