Category: Local Producers

Please continue to support our local food producers and food retailers – safely!

Welcome back indoor eating…

There’s good news for all of you who have shivered while eating outdoors since 12^th April– cafes, pubs, restaurants and hotels can now feed you inside!

So now you can go out and enjoy a hearty Ledbury breakfast, a tasty lunch, tea and super local baking or a sumptuous dinner indoors without freezing to death.

We have updated information on eating places to reflect what is happening now – please support them if you are able to do so.

Remember places are operating at restricted capacity to comply with social distancing needs – you may need to book.

Most are also providing take away service – for those in a rush or looking for answers for a picnic (as the weather allows).

Don’t forget our markets – Ledbury Charter Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays and Ledbury Country Market on Friday mornings.

Details of local businesses who provide delivery, order and collect or takeaway services have been updated.

You will find all the latest on our Food Information Page >>

Please let us know of any services we have missed so that we can include them in our next update – phone 01531 633637

Thirty UK cider and perry makers have launched a new campaign to encourage the British public to explore the world of cider.   Local cider makers taking part include Once Upon a Tree, Tom Oliver, Weston’s, Little Pomona, Newton Court, Pearson’s, Butford Organics and Ross on Wye Cider and Perry.

The cider makers are uniting around three common themes: diversity – of both style and occasion, community – whether it’s cider’s rich heritage or orchards for the people, and sustainability – cider’s impeccably green credentials.

Over the next months, you are being invited to Discover Cider, with a chance to win mixed cases of cider by sharing your own cider stories.

There will be opportunities to visit producers and to meet the makers via a programme of events and tastings, virtual and otherwise, including the Cider Critic whose “virtual” tastings of products from a range of cider makers is available on the website.

There are links to local cider makers’ websites where you can order cider for delivery and discover even more about each producer.

Simon Day, production manager for Once Upon A Tree ciders says, “I have seen the need for a co-operative approach to cider marketing for a number of years, however several attempts to get something working have stalled for one reason or another, but mainly because there are just too few hours in the day.”

“Lockdown has provided the urgency among cider producers to come together to advance some form of co-operative marketing group, and the time to make things happen.  Gabe Cook (renowned industry expert aka the Ciderologist) steered a growing number of progressive producers to come together and discuss the needs of cider makers generally, and in these challenging times of Coronavirus specifically.”

“Some cider makers have seen sales reduce by 80% over lockdown, as their route to market was blocked (pubs, restaurants and events) and the recovery, although happening, is slow and sales are still significantly lower than normal.  We have seen redundancies and closures in the industry, with the smaller scale producer hardest hit.  Something had to happen to help raise cider’s profile, to protect jobs, and to help protect our dwindling orchard landscape.”

“By working together, and with Gabe Cook at the helm, the hope is that we are able to amplify our key messages that we all share as producers: To introduce our ciders to new consumers and show off the variety of cider that is available; highlight our environmentally sustainable credentials and share our cider stories.”

“Early results are encouraging, with a number of online events and conversations happening and will continue to build over the remaining 9 weeks of the campaign.   Our hope is this will lead to increasing demand with existing retailers and introducing exciting cider ranges to brand new stockists, particularly outside our usual “cider bubble”.

“I believe there will be a lasting legacy to our current activity, and #DiscoverCider will continue as a hashtag and website for some years to come, and most excitingly this will open the door to new collaborative approaches to help all British cidermakers in the future.”

You can find out more at www.discovercider.com and via its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts. 

Do help an important local industry if you can!

Please continue to support our local food producers and retailers, and “Shop Safe Shop Ledbury”.  

We have updated our Local Food Information Page on our website– click here to access the page

Ledbury Country Market – is re-opening fully at the Burgage Hall on Fridays from Friday 18^th September initially between 10am and Noon. Entrance from Church Lane – one way system for social distancing.  Please wear face-masks.   A full range of local food products, Chinese delicacies and plants and flowers will be available.

Their order and collect service is continuing – you can register for this service (order by Tuesday evening – collect on Friday AM from the Burgage Hall, Church Lane) at www.ledburycountrymarket.co.uk or phone 01684 540595 – send order forms to orders@ledburycountrymarket.co.uk or phone orders to 01684 540595

Food Deliveries – details of those who continue to provide delivery services have been updated.

Local restaurants, pubs and cafés – Thanks for supporting those that are now open.   Trumpet Team Room reopened on 1^st August now run by Annie Badham and the Market House in Ledbury is now open again.

Please wear a face mask in shops to protect all those who work hard to serve us – “Shop Safe Shop Ledbury”…

…and thanks to all those who contributed to Janie Clarenne’s recent appeal via Justgiving to help her take her husband Pascal of Chez Pascal on a last visit to France – the target sum of £5,000 has now been exceeded.

Congratulations to local food and drink producers have again done well in this year’s Great Taste Awards, emphasising the wealth of super food and drink produced in Herefordshire and nearby.

Ledbury and district producers who have achieved awards this year include JUS from Aylton with their Cox’s Origin Pippin and Worcester Permain Apple Juices (both 2 star awards), Myrtle’s Kitchen from the Hop Pocket with their Mango Chutney (2 stars), Just Rachel Quality Desserts from Bromsberrow with their Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream (1 star), Townsend Farm, Stretton Grandison (1 star) for their farm pressed Jonagold apple juice and Willys Ltd with orchards in Little Marcle for their Apple Cider Vinegars (four awards) and their Kombucha drinks (two awards). Continue reading “Congratulations to 2019 Great Taste Award winners”