The Big Apple 2021 is on!

The apples are ripening on the trees, the presses are standing by, and the time is fast approaching for the Big Apple to welcome visitors to the Herefordshire parishes of the Marcle Ridge continuing a thirty year tradition.

Sadly last year’s event was cancelled, but this year the organisers of the Big Apple have come up with a plan that will see all the usual venues in and around Much Marcle involved on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th October.

“Within 24 hours of asking them, all nine venues had expressed their enthusiasm to go ahead”, said spokesman Jackie Denman. “When we cancelled last year, we had lots of messages of support telling us that we had made the right decision, but also telling us that we would be much missed. So now we’re busy behind the scenes working on our programme, which will go online on www.bigapple.org.uk on Monday 13th September. We can’t wait to get back!”

So put the 9th and 10th October in your diary – for your annual opportunity to enjoy the orchards, to see, hear and smell cider being made and to taste many different varieties of apples, local ciders, perries and apple juices, all of which has become an established part of the calendar for many people.

Familiar Big Apple venues will include Gregg’s Pit, Awnells Farm, Woodredding, Lyne Down, Pope’s Perry and Hellens, alongside regular attractions at Westons Cider.

We look forward to visiting this wonderful celebration of local produce!

Hereford Times Food and Farming Awards

Congratulations to award winning local food producers

Several local to Ledbury producers have won awards at this year’s Hereford Times Food and Farming Awards 2021.

.Just Rachel, now based at the Hop Pocket, won the award for Best Dairy Producer for their scrummy ice creams. 

Pixley Berries, from Pixley, won the award for Best Drinks Producer for their wonderful fruit juices and cordials.

David Powell of Awnell’s Farm, Much Marcle was presented with a special Outstanding Achievement award as well as Cattle Farmer of the Year. Mr Powell is renowned for his herd of Herefordshire cattle.

Cattle at Awnell’s Farm
Cattle at Awnell’s Farm

Details of all the winners across the county can be found at https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/19382855.revealed-winners-hereford-times-food-farming-awards-2021/

Well done to all!

Local Food Updates – Thursday 20th May

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 12th 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

Let’s encourage more visitors to Ledbury

Many visitors who come to Ledbury have no idea what to expect and don’t stay long.  We want to encourage them to stay, spend, enjoy and tell others, and we want to attract people who have never thought of visiting Ledbury.

 

We can now tell visitors of all the attractions of Ledbury and Herefordshire on the newly relaunched “Visit Herefordshire” website.

You can see the Ledbury entries at https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/see-do/city-towns/ledbury, or just type “visit Ledbury”.

It’s a bit empty at the moment.   Ledbury Town Council is encouraging local businesses and attractions serving visitors to get their business listed so that visitors can see the full range of what Ledbury has to offer.

It’s going to be a busy year for our local tourist economy (we hope) – we want to get lots of Ledbury and district tourist serving businesses on the website as soon as possible.

For those of us who don’t run businesses, “Visit Herefordshire” gives us a new way to explore where to visit, shop or eat locally – perhaps when we have visitors to entertain – or we just want to do something different.

Businesses of all kinds that serve tourists in our county can list their details for free.   Get started at https://directory.visitherefordshire.co.uk/.  You can set up a directory listing on the website to market your business (or several businesses).  Choose the categories that best describe your business, provide a description, and add photos and links to social media.  It’s straightforward to do.

You can help if you know of a local business that serves visitors, encourage them to get a listing on the “Visit Herefordshire” website.

 

A Last Gift from Pascal

Pascal with breakfast breads at Chez Pascal 2018

Pascal Clarenne of Chez Pascal fame sadly passed away on Wednesday 7th April.

Many will remember the joy of tucking into one of Pascal’s special pastries, breakfasts or lunches. 

For all of us Pascal has left an unusual gift.

In the latter days of his illness, Pascal was supported by St Michael’s Hospice with whose help Pascal has left us one last recipe – for Raspberry Tart.  Pascal creates the tart in his room at St Michael’s on a video available at https://www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk/video/pascals-raspberry-tart/

This is probably one of the most inspiring cookery films you will ever see.

We remember Pascal for his support with Janie of the Ledbury Big Breakfast – when the enclosed photo was taken, for steamed up windows in winter, for Ledbury’s little bit of France, for the French onion soup, for pleasing both Ledburians and visitors.

Our condolences go to Janie and the Clarenne family.

If the video delights or moves you please donate to St Michael’s Hospice who made Pascal’s wish possible!

Ledbury Big Breakfast 2021 – at home

We can’t have a Ledbury Big Breakfast this year … let’s have a Ledbury Virtual Breakfast

Picture by Juliette Ainsworth (for Ledbury Celebration 2018)
Picture by Juliette Ainsworth (for Ledbury Celebration 2018)

This year celebrate Ledbury’s annual celebration of Breakfast – the Ledbury Big Breakfast – by treating yourself to a special breakfast at home on the weekend 29th, 30th and 31st January.

This is when we normally celebrate the Ledbury Big Breakfast, but we can’t do this in the traditional way this year due to Covid, as our cafes, pubs and hotels are closed.

Instead we ask you to create your own special breakfast at home buying produce locally and supporting local retailers and producers as part of your shopping.

We are blessed with shops stocking the ingredients to make all kinds of breakfast goodies from the famous Full English, Eggs Hollandaise, Smoked Salmon and Poached Eggs, Porridge, Pancakes, Hams and Charcuterie, to Cheese dishes.

Local butchers can serve you with bacon, sausages, ham, eggs and that favourite for some – black pudding.  For fruit and vegetables try our two greengrocers.

Local independent shops stock lots of locally produced ingredients such as smoked fish, eggs, yogurt and dairy products, preserves and honey, cereals for porridge and bread.

Ledbury Country Market at the Burgage Hall on Friday 29th January morning will have specials including charcuterie and dim sum Chinese goodies.

We will be putting up some breakfast recipes on the Ledbury Food Group website to stimulate your creative juices. You can find lots more recipes at http://www.shakeupyourwakeup.com/breakfast-recipes.

For those who are isolating or reluctant to go shopping, some shops are able to take orders for delivery or collection – see the website’s Local Food Information Page for details.  Allow time for deliveries.

Please observe Government requirements and guidelines re Covid 19 when shopping and at home.  You can always share the experience with others by social media or Zoom.

Send photos of your Big Home Breakfast to us at bb@ledburyfoodgroup.org – we will put the best on our website.

Lastly consider helping others less fortunate by contributing the cost of a breakfast to charity e.g. to Ledbury Food Bank at http://www.ledburyfoodbank.org/ or NHS Charities Together at https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/.

 

Almost but not quite – no Big Apple 2020 for Much Marcle

The apples are coming in, the presses are at work, and it’s almost that time when the Big Apple has welcomed visitors to the Marcle Ridge for the past thirty years.  But, sadly, not in 2020.  The event, which was scheduled for 10th and 11th October, has been cancelled.  The community organisation behind the Big Apple had come up with a programme and a delivery plan designed to keep the event within COVID-19 secure guidelines, but the latest changes proved a step too far.  “We’ve been outrun by the virus”, said spokesman Jackie Denman.  “We’d like to thank the Public Health team at Herefordshire Council for their advice and support – they really tried to help us make it happen.  In the end, the decision to cancel was our own.  The timing just wasn’t right.”

Messages of support followed the announcement late last week.  “Everyone agreed that we had made the right decision, but they also took the trouble to tell us that we would be much missed.”

This annual opportunity to enjoy the orchards, to see, hear and smell cider being made and to taste many different varieties of apples, local ciders, perries and apple juices has become an established part of the calendar for many people.  Apple growers and cider makers depend heavily on events for sales of their produce, and almost all had already been cancelled.   “We tried so hard to keep the Big Apple going, especially because we were almost the only apple event that was still in this year’s calendar.  We’ve put a special area on our website at https://www.bigapple.org.uk/harvestime2020/, with information about the producers that would have been there, and some ways to get hold of their produce.”  Many familiar Big Apple venues are there, including Gregg’s Pit, Woodredding, Lyne Down, Pope’s Perry, Westons, Dragon Orchard and Jus Apple Juice.

A Poem from Sara-Jane Arbury

The Big Apple has started to plan its events for 2021, including Blossomtime on 2nd/3rd May and Harvestime on 9th/10th October.