Category: Events

A Springtime Celebration of orchards, apples and cider in the Herefordshire parishes of Putley and Aylton

Sunday 5th and Monday 6th May, 11am to 5pm

It’s your special springtime opportunity to enjoy the lovely countryside nestling below the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire, where local orchards are famous both for their cider fruit and their dessert and culinary fruit. 

The event takes place at three venues over two days, 11am to 5pm, in and around Putley and Aylton.

 One event – three venues to enjoy!

This year, The Big Apple has spread its wings to co-ordinate activities across three familiar venues, Putley Parish Hall, Court Farm Barn in Aylton and Putley’s Dragon Orchard.

Head first for Putley Parish Hall.  This will be the Information Hub, where visitors can park, buy their entrance tickets (£5 for adults, children under 16 free, valid for all three venues), pick up leaflets and start walks, both guided and ‘freestyle’, around the orchards.

The Parish Hall will also be the centre for refreshments, and the famous Blossomtime lunches and teas.  Lunches on Sunday will be provided by Aylton PCC from 11am – 2pm; Munsley WI will provide teas from 2-5pm.  On Monday, lunches will be provided by Ledbury Young Farmers Club and teas from 2pm by Putley WI.

On the Sunday Evening Putley Parish Hall will host an evening of songs and entertainment from 7pm – ‘Bloomin Blossomtime’.  Tickets on the door.

Court Farm Barn, Aylton will be the centre for arts, crafts, demonstrations, workshops and talks. Over the course of the two days, Hannah and Cheryl from Laughing Betsy will co-ordinate an installation, a collaboration between visitors, craftspeople and artists to reflect themes of regeneration, re-use, natural materials and nature.

Dragon Orchard will host the cider and perry tastings, cider/perry makers’ stalls and music and entertainment at The Big Hug.  Or visitors can just wander amongst the fruit trees in the orchard, soaking up the sounds and scents of nature. “I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven” said one visitor last year!

Visitors will be encouraged to walk between the three venues – they are all within easy reach of each other – but for those who may need some assistance or just for the sheer fun of it, a tractor and passenger trailer will be available, as has happened at Harvestime for several years now.

Full programme details are available at www.bigapple.org.uk/blossomtime/

News about two food events…

Wild about…local food

We will be at Ledbury Saturday Market on 18^th November between 9am and 1pm featuring three local producers and their wares, free fresh soup and soup recipes – great food for the Autumn – and information about the Ledbury Food Bank.

Come along and meet our producers:

• Dragon Orchard – fruit and preserves
• Skittery Apple Juice – you may know them as Jus
• Little Marcle Organic Produce – local fruit and veg producer/supplier

And enjoy Ledbury Market.

With support from Ledbury Town Council.

Ledbury Big Breakfast 2024 – dates announced!

This popular event will next take place over the weekend of Friday 2^nd, Saturday 3^rd and Sunday 4^th February 2024.

Local shops, cafes, hotels and other food outlets are challenged to come up with special breakfast offerings featuring locally produced food to brighten a winter’s day.

We hope that 15 to 20 local Ledbury and district food outlets will join this event.

Breakfasts can be big or small, traditional or newly invented to be enjoyed in our local eating places or taken home for enjoyment.  Many outlets will provide vegan, vegetable and gluten free options.

The event lightens the darkest time of the year, with a positive message about the qualities of our local produce and food offerings and the importance – and on this occasion pleasure – of starting the day with a satisfying breakfast.

Full details of those taking part, their special offerings and which days these will be on sale will be available on this website from mid-January.

The event is a bit later this year to give more time for making the arrangements.

Put the dates in your diary (or calendar function).

Images from 2023’s event:

LEDBURY & DISTRICT CIVIC SOCIETY

Friday, 29 September, 2023, 7.30pm

Welcome to our exciting new season of Friday evening talks which start with

More than just an orchard…

A talk by Norman Stanier at the Burgage Hall, Church Lane, Ledbury

Fruit Growing is deeply ingrained in the Herefordshire psyche and nowhere more than in the Parish of Putley, just four miles from Ledbury. Norman Stanier was born and raised there in a four-generation household in the late 40s into a long line of fruit growers. His talk traces the story of his family and of the importance of this crop to the county, its culture and character.

All talks are open to the public. Members free, visitors £5 per person.

Congratulations to local producers whose efforts have been rewarded in this year’s Great Taste Awards.

Local to Ledbury” producers include:

• Willys from Little Marcle for their apple cider vinegars and Kimchi – 5 Awards
• Myrtle’s Kitchen for her Philpott’s Chilli Jam and BrineSalt, Lemon, Myrtle and Thyme Seasoning
• Just Rachel Deserts from the Hop Pocket for their Vegan Passion Fruit Ice Cream and Raspberry Sorbet

From the wider area of Herefordshire:

• Twigs and Dough for their special pasta
• White Heron for their British Cassis
• Oakchurch Farm Shop (A438 west of Hereford) – 7 awards including for steaks, pies and sorbet
• Gun Dog Gin for their fruit liquors – 2 awards
• Pip’s Cider for their ciders – 4 awards
• Hedonist Bakery for their bakery products – 3 awards
• Two Farmers for Woodland Mushroom and Wild Garlic Potato Crisps
• Broadfield Court Farm for their Whole Moo World milk – now available at vending machines in the county
• Woofys Brewery – 2 awards for ale and porter
• Black Mountain Roast for their Expresso Blend Coffee
• Wild by Nature for their Grass Fed Beef Snacking Salami
• Herefordshire Sauce for their Herefordsfire Sauce (stocked at the Nest)

And from just over the border in Worcestershire, McNeil’s Smokehouse have won a number of awards for their smoked fish products.

Go to https://greattasteawards.co.uk/results/ for more details and in many cases to links to stockists including local shops and farm shop outlets.

Sustainable Ledbury invite you to learn about the experiences of a modern-day dairy farmer in a talk on Monday 21^st August.

Farming is going through challenging times and dairy farming is no exception. Join us to hear more from Claire Howlett.

In 2018, she and her brother Daniel, were awarded the Organic Milk Suppliers’ Cooperative’s (OMSCo’s) Farm of the Year.

Claire will be talking about life on the farm and will be happy to take questions. Their farm is powered by renewable energy, the cows are grass fed and there are areas for wildlife.

Claire will be bringing their Halloumi style cheese, Apple Juice and Apple Jam to sell.

Admission is free with donations welcome towards the cost of the hire of the hall

Date: Monday 21st August

Time: 6.30 p.m.

Place: The Burgage Hall, Church Lane, Ledbury

Nearest Car Park: St Katherine’s, Bye Street, HR8 2AB – Free after 6pm

sustainableledbury@gmail.com     www.sustainableledbury.co.uk

If you came to the Ledbury Celebration on Sunday 9th July many thanks for coming and supporting the event – we were pleased to see you!

If you were not able to come this is what went on…

The weather was kind for The Ledbury Celebration last Sunday (9th July), Ledbury’s celebration of the local food and drink of Herefordshire and its neighbouring counties with an added menu of music, poetry and our historic heritage on the last day of the Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Held in historic St Katherine’s, Ledbury, the event featured 18 local food and drink producers selling both street-food to enjoy on the spot and specialities to take home.  Trade was good thanks to the support of those who came to the event.  New this year amongst the mix of street-food were “Afghan Pizzas” created by a local Afghan refugee family.

The entertainment “menu” included poets Emma Clowsley and Chloe Jacquet, and several youngsters nurtured by Ledbury Poetry. Beth Calverley’s magical Poetry Machine spent the afternoon creating intimate poems on demand.

The musical menu featured Four Crying Out Loud – Ledbury’s own fisherman’s quartet, George Montague, guitarist and singer/songwriter, The Hey Yahs reviving old classics and The Rohans mixing musical genres.

The Town Mayor of Ledbury, Councillor Helen I’Anson, visited the event and met many of the stall holders.

A raffle of prizes generously donated by local businesses raised £115 for Ledbury Food Bank.

The day was brought to a colourful close by Ledbury Border Morris who demonstrated five traditional dances – and then it rained!

This event was a partnership between Ledbury Food Group, Ledbury Poetry, and Ledbury Town Council.

Please provide us with your feedback at ask@ledburyfoodgroup.org

See pictures from the event below…

Four Crying Out Loud

Emma Clowsley brings locality to Poetry

George Montague gives his all

Ledbury Border Morris end a perfect day

An audience for Poetry

Ledbury's own Afghan Pizza-with the Mayor

Linda from Kitchen Flowers

The Skitterys with their Apple juice

Rachael of Wykeham Gardens brings colour