KENT County Cricket Club have begun the search for new caterers at their Canterbury headquarters following the cancellation of their deal with Morton’s Fork Ltd.

The Chichester-based firm, named after its managing director Tim Morton, has agreed to terminate the final year of a three-year contract in order to concentrate on commitments closer to its head offices in Sussex.

Morton’s Fork has operated bar and catering franchises at St Lawrence for the last five years but, according to Kent’s head of marketing Jon Fordham, this parting of the ways is by mutual consent.

“Being based in Chichester and having to commute 100 miles either way has been tough on Tim and he has decided it might be better to concentrate on his firm’s other strengths and catering in the Chichester area,” said Mr Fordham.

“As a company, Morton’s is moving away from hospitality-style catering and therefore agreed to relinquish the final year of the deal at St Lawrence.”

Kent officials have already started the tender exercise to find replacement caterers. If all goes according to plan, new caterers will be installed by the end of February, giving them seven weeks to acclimatise before the start of the county’s 2004 home campaign.