NEWENT residents were shocked to learn that the town’s world famous Onion Fayre would not be returning as expected this year.

Locals were disappointed by the news last week that the widely popular fayre - which has been a huge hit with residents and visitors alike for 24 years - had been cancelled for 2022 because of financial uncertainty and a lack of interest from stallholders.

The committee released a statement last Thursday (June 9), which said that running the fayre “would not be feasible” this year as previous support for the event was no longer there.

Pre-pandemic, the Onion Fayre was Gloucestershire’s largest free one-day event, with more than 150 stalls, fairground rides, live music, an onion show and a “world famous” onion eating competition attracting around 15,000 visitors to the town each year.

The traditionally annual event, which last took place in 2019 because of Covid restrictions, was set to take place on September 10.

In a statement, Committee Chairman Andy Offord said: “We have had to make the difficult and very sad decision to cancel the Onion Fayre.

“We do not want to disappoint people, but after being forced into having a two year break, we’ve found that the momentum has been lost.

“Since the start of the year, we have been working hard to try to bring the event back for this September, however we have found that running the Fayre will not be feasible.

“We have discovered there have been many casualties as a result of the pandemic, and due to the economic uncertainties at the moment, the previous support we have had for the event is no longer there.

“We are a small group of volunteers who have thoroughly enjoyed bringing this event to the small town of Newent each year, and would like to thank everyone that has supported the Fayre in the past.

“Whatever happens in the future, the Noble Onion will always be celebrated in Newent.”

In a post to the Fayre’s Facebook page, locals questioned the reasons behind the cancellation, saying that both the Tall Ships Festival in Gloucester and the Cheese Rolling event at Cooper’s Hill were both well attended “by the public and traders alike” this month.

Some also questioned whether the fayre would return at all, with one person commenting that the statement read “like a goodbye”.

Others were more hopeful, with one user posting: “That must have been a very difficult decision. Thank you for all the previous Onion fairs, they were amazing. Hope momentum picks up again for next year.”

The historic event has its roots in the 13th century, when the town of ‘Noent’ was granted a weekly market and two annual fayres by King Henry III.

By the end of the 18th century, the September fayre was trading onions, and the event became so important that the price of onions at Newent was used to set prices across Gloucestershire, South Wales and the Midlands.

The early 20th century saw the demise of the fayre before a local group brought it back in 1996 to celebrate local food and drink.