and tastes -- the aromas coming from Dolly Pitcher's stall and her wonderful seafood cooking.

After 40 years of running a food stall alongside other family members at one of the Island's biggest sporting events, Ms Pitcher will this year stay away from the host ground of Wellington Oval due to an increase in the cost of operating a stall at the ground.

And with her will go her traditional St. David's delights of mussel pie and conch stew.

Ms Pitcher said the price St. George's Cricket Club was charging vendors to operate a stall during the two-day match was too expensive.

She told The Royal Gazette : "They want $700 a day for the stall and then another $300 dollars if the spot is left dirty. All up front.'' So she and her daughter, who also runs a stall during Cup Match, have made a joint decision to stay away from the East End cricket venue because of the price it will cost them to run their pair of stalls.

"It's not worth it when you're paying about $3,000 to run the stalls,'' continued Ms Pitcher. "My daughter doesn't even pay $1,000 for the products she brings in.'' In previous years, stalls have carried a $700 price tag for the two days.

Said Ms Pitcher: "In the past my daughter and I had to pay $350 each day. Now we're paying upward of $1,700 to run the stall.

"I don't mind paying a price, but this is too much. And we also have to consider our help, which is $100 dollars a day, sometimes $150.'' She added: "They raise our price and so we have to raise the price of the food.'' "We have to put a lot of money into the stalls to make profit and we also have to buy enough food to last both days.'' Ms Pitcher said she felt greed was beginning to destroy the cricket classic.

And she argued that this was turning people away from attending the two-day event and seeing them spend time elsewhere.

She noted: "A lot of people have become outraged over the prices.''