Putley is preparing for the annual celebration of its orchards, which this year will take place on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th May. Blossomtime in Putley is centred on a cider tasting in the village hall, based on entries from the Big Apple Cider and Perry Trials with over 150 ciders and perries available to taste – including our highest ever number of dry ciders.
Together with its surrounding parishes, Putley is famous for its orchards, and the mix of dessert and cider fruit means that there will be blossom somewhere at this time of year. Visitors can walk through the orchards, taste the ciders, enjoy a home-made lunch or tea – and discover for themselves why orchards are special places and apples matter to us all. On Monday morning, the Skittery family will welcome visitors to see how Jus, their award winning single variety apple juice, is made at Birchall Farm in Aylton.
Putley will also be welcoming some special guests. On Sunday morning, Graham Harvey, onetime agricultural story editor to The Archers, and James Crowden, author, poet and cider enthusiast, will share their thoughts on the impact of cider on “poetry, The Archers and the world at large”. Their talk will take place at Dragon Orchard at 11am. Each afternoon, Ciderologist Gabe Cook, fresh from his recent tour of cidermaking areas around the world, will offer pop-up tutored cider tastings at Putley Village Hall.
Dancing from Leominster Morris and music from Fiddlers Two add the final touches to a special countryside experience.
Putley Village Hall will be open for the Grand Cider Tasting and Teas from 2pm–6pm on Sunday 6th May and from 12–5pm on Monday 7th May. Full programme details are available at www.bigapple.org.uk.
Press release by The Big Apple