Ledbury Celebration – 5th July – full programme now available

“This is the last day of magic!”

The Ledbury Celebration on Sunday 5th July celebrates the local food and drink of Herefordshire and its neighbouring counties with an added menu of music, poetry, dance and our historic heritage.

Ledbury Celebration 2026

This year’s event again brings a small but special outdoor market and street food to historic St Katherine’s, Ledbury next to the 15th century Master’s House, just off the High Street. The event runs from 11am to 4pm with entertainment from midday.

Local produce will be on sale either to eat and drink “on the go” or to take home to savour in slower time.

Producers and street-food specialists this year include:

  • Asib’s Afghan Food – exotic bakery (sweet and savoury)
  • Bellota – charcuterie
  • Continuum Conceits – chocolate
  • Fabioni’s Pizza
  • M and Ms Ice cream
  • Miniyaki’s – Japanese street food
  • Monkland Cheese – cheese from Herefordshire
  • New Market House Café – Laszlo’s Goulash
  • Orchard Grove Preserves – local jams and chutneys
  • Pauntley Petals – locally grown flowers
  • Seb’s Cider – a traditional taste of Herefordshire
  • Spice up the Valleys -Caribbean style street food
  • Taste of Ukraine – Ukrainian style bakes
  • The Nest – tastings of local food products
  • The Pudding Pot Company – fresh fruit crumbles
  • Weekdays and Weekends – street food wraps
  • Wychbold Fudge

Information as at 22nd June

Local Crafts joining us:

  • Caroline Bousfield – stone-ware pottery made in Ledbury
  • Under Capricorn – goat’s milk soaps

Specially for children:

  • Kid’s Kitchen – introducing children to cooking
  • Herefordshire Libraries

Specially for everyone:

 The Poetry Machine – back in Ledbury to create with you your own personal poem for you or a loved one – book a slot

And also

  • Sustainable Ledbury – find out about living more sustainably
  • Ledbury Food Group – our own stand – ask us about local food. Buy a raffle ticket or two to help Ledbury Food Bank.
  • Ledbury Refugee Support – “discover who we help”
  • Masefield Matters

Buy some food, find a seat and enjoy a special afternoon of entertainment

 Ledbury Poetry has lined up special “al fresco” poetic performances during the event featuring:

  • At 12.40pm – Bramwell Griffiths – “shakes Landscape and decorates pages with what comes loose”.
  • At 1.35pm – Jo Cox – “writes to know herself and the world more deeply.”
  • At 2.30pm – Rosalind Thomas – “telling stories with personal themes, through poetry”.

And a feast of musical entertainment…

  • At 12.00pm -The Ledbury Singers featuring Four Crying Out Loud – The Ledbury Singers demonstrate their versatility and Four Crying Out Loud provide an interesting contrast.
  • At 12.55pm – The Footprints Jazz Band – bring easy listening to the lunch hour playing smooth and melodic music and songs with blues influences as well as jazz style.
  • At 1.50pm – The Hey Yahs will perform a mix of contemporary and classic covers to suit all tastes for you to sing and dance along with or just sit back and enjoy.
  • At 2.50pm – The Tragic Magic Blues Band will bring the music of the deep south -and elsewhere!

And dance

  • At 3.35pm – Ledbury Morris – will evoke a long local tradition of dance as a preface to:

Remembering Ledbury’s Poet Laureate, John Masefield…

  • At 3.50pm – A special Masefield Moment celebrates Ledbury’s connection to its most famous literary son, John Masefield.

 Zoe Brooks of Cheltenham Poetry Festival joins us to share a piece inspired by John Masefield.

What else?

  • You can visit Ledbury’s heritage sites – the Church, The Heritage Centre, the Painted Room and the Town itself.
  • Why not book in for a session of poetry at Ledbury Poetry Festival on the last day of the festival? Find the programme at https://ledburypoetry.org.uk/home/whats-on/

 This event is organised and funded by Ledbury Food Group, Ledbury Poetry and Ledbury Town Council.

With additional financial help from Ledbury Town Council

Ledbury Celebration 2026 sponsors

Book the Date! Ledbury Celebration 2026 is on Sunday 5th July

 “This is the last day of magic”

Ledbury’s very friendly and local food and drink festival with added poetry and music takes place again in the historic setting of St Katherine’s, Ledbury by the 15th century Master’s House on Sunday 5th July – the last day of the Ledbury Poetry Festival. 

This joyful event has become a highlight for both residents and visitors alike, offering a delightful array of attractions.

Ledbury Celebration in full swing

You will discover:

  • A small but special outdoor food and drink market featuring the best of local produce and street-food for you to enjoy at the event, while enjoying the entertainment, or take home to enjoy later.
  • Attention-seeking “al fresco” poetic entertainment provided by Ledbury Poetry and featuring Bramwell Griffiths, Jo Cox and Rosalind Thomas.
  • The always-popular Poetry Machine – for your own bespoke poem.
  • A magical miscellany of musical entertainment – The Ledbury Singers featuring Four Crying Out Loud, The Footprints Jazz Band, Hey Yahs Acoustic Trio and the Tragic Magic Blues Band
  • Masefield Moments celebrating Ledbury’s Poet Laureate.
  • And more, including for youngsters Kid’s Kitchen.

This popular FREE event is organised by a partnership of Ledbury Food Group, Ledbury Poetry and Ledbury Town Council, who are all aiming to delight you at this festival within a festival.  The Ledbury Celebration has been made possible through funding from Herefordshire Community Foundation and Visit Herefordshire. 

The Ledbury Celebration takes place on Sunday 5th July between 11.00am and 4.00pm in St Katherine’s Car Park and Square, just off Ledbury High Street – entertainment from 12 noon.

If you are interested in having a stall, contact us at ledburycelebration@gmail.com or phone 01531 633637

The full programme is available at www.ledburyfoodgroup.org from early June.

Parking at public car parks in Ledbury is free on Sundays

Celebration Sponsors 2026

Ledbury Celebration 2025

Notice of our Annual General Meeting – Year 2025 – 2026

 

We are holding our AGM on Monday 1st June at 5.30pm at the Market House, High Street. Ledbury (upstairs).

You will be most welcome to join us for this important event.  It’s an opportunity to find out who we are and meet the new committee for the year 2026/27.

We are always open to new ideas to support our aims of encouraging local food and drink production and retail.

In the past year the activities of the Group have focused on our two key events The Ledbury Big Breakfast and The Ledbury Celebration, together with talk events held jointly with Sustainable Ledbury on issues affecting food production and supply assisted by the Herefordshire Food Alliance.

Like many groups our ability to do more is limited by our resources – contact us if you have an interest in or idea for how we publicise our wonderful local food and the threats to and opportunities for sustainable food production.

Agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Ledbury Food Group:

Time and Location: 5.30pm at the Market House, High Street, Ledbury (upstairs)

(Nearest off street parking – St Katherine’s Car Park)

  1. Apologies
  2. Report from the Secretary
  3. Report from the Treasurer
  4. Approval of Accounts for the period to 31st March 2026
  5. Election of a Committee for the year 2026 to 2027
  6. Election of Officials for the year 2026 to 2027 – Chair, Secretary, Treasurer
  7. Any other business

 

Please advise me –

  1. a) If you wish to stand for a committee member or official of Ledbury Food Group. Please note that Committee Members and Officials must be members of the Food Group 
  2. b) If you have Any Other Business that you wish to raise at this meeting

Griff Holliday, Secretary – 01531 633637  

griffholliday@btinternet.com

15th May 2026

The Secretary’s Report and the Treasurer’s Report will be circulated prior to the meeting.

 

Blossomtime 2026 – parishes join forces to celebrate orchards, apples and cider

You are invited to this special springtime opportunity to enjoy the local orchards, famed for their cider, dessert and culinary fruit, around Putley and Aylton on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th May. 

This year sees a new venue join forces with Putley Parish Hall and Dragon Orchard.  Two generations of the Skittery family, known across Herefordshire for their single variety apple juice and cider, will be welcoming visitors to their home farm, Birchley.  They’re not new to Big Apple events – the previous generation were founder members in 1989. 

Members of the Skittery Family at Birchley

Blossomtime 2026 sees community organisers the Big Apple Association bringing together three venues around Putley and Aylton, linked by a tractor and trailer service and each offering a collection of different experiences.

Putley Parish Hall will be the welcome hub, where you can park, buy your entrance ticket (£5 for adults, children under 16 free, valid for one day at all three venues), and start guided walks around the orchards.  It is also the centre for Blossomtime lunches and teas, provided in turn by Aylton Church, Munsley WI, Ledbury Young Farmers and Putley WI.

At Birchley, the Skittery family will showcase their orchards and their machinery, offering walks and tastings of apple juice and cider and a family trail through the orchards.  A programme of talks includes Geoff Newman, talking about traditional orchards, Bill Laws, sharing the history of the Herefordshire Pomona, Brian Robbins giving insights into his book ‘The Healing Orchard’ and Tim Keyes, talking about John Masefield’s Herefordshire Paradise as this former Poet Laureate is celebrated locally with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

At Dragon Orchard, tastings drawn from over 120 entries received to date for the 2026 Big Apple Cider and Perry Trials will be on offer.  Artistraw, Gregg’s Pit, Palmer’s Upland, Redvers, Ross-on-Wye and Woodredding will be selling their cider and perry to take home – or to enjoy in the orchard along with musical entertainment.

You are encouraged to walk between venues where they can – but for those who may need some assistance, a tractor and passenger trailer will be available. 

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

Information provided by the Big Apple Association

Food v Nature? – (updated) your invitation to a discussion in Ledbury on Thursday 9th April

Two more speakers - see below

The impact of food production on the environment has rightly become a subject of great concern in Herefordshire.

Cattle in local field

We ask

How do we balance Nature and Food Production – looking after our rivers and water-courses and supporting our farmers?

We’ve invited a panel of contributors who are close to the issues to help us understand the problems and discuss the issues.

Those joining us include

Dr Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire
Dreda Darling, Herefordshire farmer and representative for Wyescapes (see below)
Joshua Davenport, local organic farmer

And also:

Ian Grafton, Head of Nature Recovery, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust -Wye Adapt to Climate Change (WACC) project
Esther Rudge, farmer and vice chair of Herefordshire NFU

Following short presentations, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and feed the discussion.

Event details:

Date: Thursday 9th April
Time: 6pm to 7.30pm
Place: The Burgage Hall, Church Lane, Ledbury HR8 1DW
Parking: St Katherine’s Car Park (off Bye Street) – Free after 6pm

FREE event

Collection for Ledbury Food Bank

More information on Wyescapes at –

https://herefordshireruralhub.co.uk/wyescapes/

Brought to you by

Sustainable Ledbury

Sustainable Ledbury       

The Big Breakfast brings joy despite the weather

Thanks to the many breakfasters who navigated the rain to enjoy what was on offer this year at The Ledbury Big Breakfast last weekend (Friday 6th to Sunday 8th February 2026)

Seventeen food venues in Ledbury and around took part this time and most venues reported good business – a blessing for the many small businesses joining the event at a difficult time of year.

Big Breakfast eggs

Dishes on offer for a sit-down breakfast stretched from the traditional English Breakfast through eggs in many ways, pancakes, Parma ham, frittata and rosti, smoked salmon and so much more, with much featuring local bakery.  Did you enjoy a really special breakfast?

Wallers Butchers

Both butchers in town – Gurneys and Wallers – created special breakfast products, and on Friday, the Country Market served cooked breakfasts at the Burgage Hall.

Local Produce to buy for a breakfast at home also featured at a busy and squidgy Hellens Produce Market on the Saturday, and from our delis in town – Ceci Paolo and Handley Organics.

Ledbury Community Hub added to the celebrations with a Boozy Brunch and Bingo on Saturday at the Hub.

The Malthouse

The High Sheriff of Herefordshire Helen Bowden and local MP Dr Ellie Chowns joined the Deputy Chairman of Ledbury Town Council Malcolm Hughes, The Town Clerk and members of Ledbury Community Hub and Ledbury Food Group for breakfast to launch the event.  The High Sheriff then visited a number of businesses taking part.  She also visited the Ledbury Food Bank to learn how this local initiative supports those in need in and around Ledbury.

Big breakfast gathering

Griff Holliday for the organisers, Ledbury Food Group, said, “Thanks to all who made this year’s Ledbury Big Breakfast another great success – showing off the quality and variety of Ledbury and district’s local food offering. Thanks too to all who supported those taking part at this difficult time for hospitality businesses.  It was pleasing to see numbers of friends joining together for a communal breakfast.”

Please send your feedback to us at ask@ledburyfoodgroup.com.

And please support Ledbury Food Bank if you are able – more at https://www.ledburyfoodbank.org/index.html#help.

Big breakfast flyer

The Ledbury Big Breakfast “est arrivé!” – Stop Press!

Breakfast at The Nest

Full details of the venues taking part in the 2026 Ledbury Big Breakfast over the weekend 6th to 8th February can be found in the previous blog.

Have you booked your table yet?

 What goes with Breakfast or Brunch?

We asked Ledbury’s Hay Wines to come up with some suggestions for pairing wine with Breakfast or Brunch for you to try when breakfasting or brunching out or at home.

Michele Longari IWA, Sommelier at Hay Wines says,

 “The good news is that breakfast and wine can work beautifully together.  The secret is choosing wines that feel fresh, bright and light on their feet, and pairing them with the right kind of breakfast.”

Click to discover a few ideas from Michele to help you go beyond the obvious bottle of Champagne, and uncover some unexpected pairings >>  

Hay Wines in High Street, Ledbury will be happy to provide further advice.

Venue updates

Three new food businesses in Ledbury will be open over Big Breakfast weekend – their details are:

Mews Bouche, Homend Mews, The Homend is open 10am to 4pm on Friday and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 3pm for coffee and toasties – especially cheese toasties.

The Cheese Pantry, The Homend – will sell you local cheeses for a cheesy breakfast.

The Malthouse, Church Lane, Ledbury – open Friday, Saturday and Sunday- 9am to 4pm – is under new management serving a range of breakfast/brunch options.

Phone 01531 634443

Enjoy your breakfast! and remember that Ledbury Food Bank always needs help.  Find out how at https://www.ledburyfoodbank.org/.