FURIOUS businesswomen Emma Guy and Tracey Brunger have hit out after their pioneering mountain biking cafe, The Hub, was binned by the Forestry Commission.

The biking duo who helped turn Glentress into the world-famous destination have been snubbed in a tendering process to operate the Commission's new £9 million visitor centre.

And they claim that up to 30 jobs will be lost at their award-winning cafe, bike-hire and coaching business.

Emma blasted: "We have ten years of experience, we know this area inside out, we have an incredible track record in this area. But now we have been told that we are not good enough." Forestry Commission Scotland claim the decision not to progress The Hub's bid was made by a panel of assessors and they will be given feedback about the decision.

Emma and Tracey had to break the bad news to staff members that they had fallen at the second hurdle of a tendering process to run the cafe and bike hire business at the new £9 million Peel centre, this news they received by email last Saturday.

Emma said: "This decision is a real kick in the teeth for us after spending ten years of our life and a considerable amount of money building up this business. But we are just as hurt at the fact that we had to sit our staff down and tell them the bad news." The pair began The Hub ten years ago, and in the early days saw just a trickle of customers. But their hard work and vision saw the couple sell everything they owned to develop their venture from scratch.

Their popularity soon attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the UK who flocked to The Hub, as part of the Glentress success story.

Emma continued: "We have ten years of experience, we know this area inside out, we have an incredible track record in this area. But now we have been told that we are not good enough.

"As a result of this ten full-time staff and 20 part-time staff will be out of a job when our lease comes to an end at the end of next year. It is a real shocker.

"We have also been a bit taken aback at how impersonal the whole process has been. For the first six years we were in business the whole set-up was fantastic and we worked hand-in-hand with the Forestry Commission. But sadly things changed and this seems to be the end result." The decision has also been met with some resentment from regular visitors to The Hub, Ewan Fulton wrote on their Facebook page: "Totally gutted for you guys, it is so unfair after all your hard work building up an amazing facility at Glentress and making Glentress the place it is today that the FC do this to you. I can tell you where I'll be spending my money next year." While David Thomason Sedman: "That's really bad news! All the years I have been riding in Glentress the cafe has been one of the highlights of my visits.

"The food is fantastic. Just what a mountain bikers needs after a good ride. It will not be the same without you guys at all. The Forestry Commision need to remember that you guys have helped make Glentress what it is today!" Steve Williams Senior Press Officer at the Forestry Commission told the Peeblesshire News: "We understand The Hub's disappointment, however, the whole tendering process is being carried out strictly in accordance with public tendering for commercial opportunities procedures.

"In addition, we have had an independent expert on the panel of assessors and the Head of FC Procurement has examined the process to ensure procedures have been followed through to the letter." He added: "FCS staff will be inviting The Hub, as with the other unsuccessful bidders, to a meeting to be given feedback on their applications. This will be done once the tendering process is complete."