Come and celebrate the new season’s blossom in and around the beautiful village of Putley in Herefordshire! The Big Apple will be welcoming visitors to enjoy their annual bank holiday extravaganza of blossom- and orchard-related events. Continue reading “Blossomtime with The Big Apple – Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd May 2016”
What are the connections between food and good health? A further exploration
Rob Elliott and Sally Dean are back by popular request to explore further the modern-day myths and mis-information surrounding our food. Rob will introduce Jayne West, a kinesiologist who will introduce the fascinating therapy of kinesiology – an effective and holistic way of determining each individual’s unique dietary requirements. Continue reading “What are the connections between food and good health? A further exploration”
Big Breakfast Video
We welcomed Karen and Sara from the national Breakfast Week campaign to this year’s Big Breakfast. Ledbury is the only town where the whole town gets involved with Breakfast Week and while they were here they made a promotional video to encourage participation in the event.
The video features Dave Waller, Heather from the Market House Cafe, Andy Ward from the Talbot, James from Llandinabo Farm Shop and Penny from the Nest. Our apologies to those we did not have time to visit and to anyone who participated but is not featured.
Ease into Christmas @ the Kempley Produce Market, Saturday 14th November
The next Kempley Produce Market is this Saturday 14th November.
Back by popular request, Dee Davidson will be bringing his great range of vegetarian curries and dahls. Made from soya milk and tofu from organic soya beans, curries have long been a passion of Dee’s. They are made from his own recipes which he has developed over time, inspired by 10 years of living amongst Asian communities in Walsall, Birmingham. Come along and meet Dee at the Kempley Produce Market, Saturday, 14th November, 9.30-11.30.
Also at this month’s market:
- Table ready pheasants from Charlotte, £1.85 for a whole bird, £1.30 for a pack of two breasts. Orders can also be taken at the market.
- Greek feta & spinach pie . Mary will be bringing her fabulous Spanakopita pie, a tasty treat that would save you having to think about what to cook this weekend, as well as a great selection of patisseries including chocolate & pecan cookies.
- Christmas poultry & meat. Charlotte will be taking orders for all your meaty Christmas needs. Free range: Turkeys from £8.50kg & Geese from £9.50kg. Ducks from £6.50kg, Rib of Beef from £8.50kg, Lamb from £7.50kg, Gammon from £5.99kg. Find out more about Charlotte’s Fork to Farm venture.
- Cheesy gifts and platters. Ian and Liz will be taking orders for your Christmas cheeses. A great idea for a really thoughtful present from your local cheese makers. Also goats cheese, yoghurt, butter, preserves & veg.
- John’s homemade bread
- Stephen Bull‘s tarts, pies and quiches
- Rapeseed oil from Cotswold Gold
- Flowering plants from David Bywater
- The Forest Bakehouse’s sour dough bread, croissants & sausage rolls
- Amy’s free range eggs
- KPM’s Granola & dried strawberries
- Organic vegetables from Flights Orchard Farm, Little Marcle
- Melkirts Mushrooms
- Honey from Paul Davies
- Juice & Plumdelicious range from Bentleys Castle Fruit Farm & Juice from Hilters Fruit Farm
- HIllbrooks Ice Cream range of luxury ice cream and sorbets
Cafe & Book Swap
Enjoy butties made from dry cured bacon and sausages from pigs reared in the Malverns, cured in Ledbury, cooked in Kempley. Served in freshly baked sour dough bread from The Forest Bakehouse. Catch up with friends and neighbours over a cuppa in the cafe (our meal deal, just £1.20). There are lots of good reads in the book swap. If you have nothing to exchange, then just leave a donation in the pot.
The market is open from 9.30 – 11.30 at Kempley Village Hall.
This weekend for The Big Apple Harvestime celebrations in Herefordshire 10th and 11th October
For an afternoon, a day or a full weekend – the Big Apple is a special opportunity to enjoy the autumn countryside on the Marcle Ridge. This year’s celebration of English apples, orchards and cider will include walks, talks, tastings and activities, not to mention delicious lunches and apple teas, at eight venues in and around Much Marcle.
Cidermaking highlights this year will include getting hands on experience with a 200-year-old cider press at Woodredding Farm, taking a tour of Westons Cider, and seeing the horse-drawn travelling cider press at Awnells Farm.
A ‘Feast of Apples’ at Hellens will include a market featuring unusual varieties of apples while local printmaker Annaliese Appleby will be helping visitors to create an apple tree collage at Gregg’s Pit. Two special events will celebrate the contribution of local folklore historian Roy Palmer, who died earlier this year. Sweet Cider Time, an evening of music and readings features vocal group Serenata at 7pm on Saturday evening, while on Sunday morning a guided walk will include readings from Ripest Apples, the anthology compiled by Roy for the Big Apple. A Big Apple Bike Ride, meeting at the Market House in Ledbury at 10am on Sunday, will explore the Big Apple venues from the saddle, with plenty of opportunity to sample Big Apple catering along the way.
One of the final events of the weekend will be a screening of ‘Five Fruit Trees Make an Orchard’. This new film comparing seventeenth century and contemporary perspectives of orchard value was made with the help of people with learning disabilities and will be shown at Hellens at 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
A full programme of events can be found at www.bigapple.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigappleherefordshire
Press release from The Big Apple
Good food or bad food? A chance to find out more…
We’ve all thought about whether food is good or bad for us, and what healthy eating is about.
In three monthly talk and discussion sessions starting on Monday 21st September, local writer Rob Elliott and his partner Sally Dean invite us to explore what we mean when we use these terms, and how we might improve our diet and our lives.
Rob Elliott is the author of “The Food Maze” and “How to eat like there’s no tomorrow”.
The sessions are being run by Ledbury Library Development Group (LLDG) in association with Ledbury Food Group.
The themes of the three sessions are as follows:
Unravelling the Food Maze – Rob and Sally review our search for honest food. You want to eat healthily but is butter good for you or bad for you? What does ‘free range’ really mean? What is a balanced diet? Is it just too confusing?
Taking control of our own Health – Rob and Sally explore the connection between food, health and well-being. They also consider the links between industrial food and the major health and environment issues of the 21st century.
“Being the change we want to see”: You are invited to think positively about the food you eat. Using the story of their own lives, Rob and Sally will suggest ways we can make informed changes in our lives and what we eat.
How can I take part?
The sessions take place on Monday 21st September, Monday 19th October and Monday 16th November in the Panelled Room at the Master’s House (Ledbury Library), Ledbury from 7pm to 9pm. Light refreshments featuring local products will be provided.
Tickets for each session are £6 with a discount for LLDG members and Ledbury Food Group members on the night.
Tickets for each session are available to purchase from Ledbury Library 6 weeks before the session.
Parking (free from 6pm) is available in St Katherine’s Car Park, off Bye Street.
Please contact us at ask@ledburyfoodgroup.org if you need to know more.
Ledbury celebrates English wine week (23rd – 31st May)
The emergence and growth of quality boutique vineyards in the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire reflects the national expansion of vineyards and the growing international success of English wines.
Within just a 30 mile radius of Ledbury we now have well over 25 vineyards, producing a fantastic range of wines; white, red, rose, & sparkling.
Simon Day, Award winning wine maker and producer of his new brand Sixteen Ridges explains:
“Growers in the UK are benefitting from over 40 years of experience from the viticultural pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s selecting the best grape varieties to grow in our climate, as well as siting vineyards in the best possible locations; south facing slopes, well protected from frost. Our Sixteen Ridges vineyard resides on a sheltered hillside. It forms a natural amphitheatre capturing sunlight and warmth. Our more recent planting at Redbank, along the Ledbury Wall Hills, is a perfect marriage of aspect, shelter and soil; the precise ingredients to go into quality wine grape production.
These days we are also successfully growing recognised grape varieties such Pinot Noir, alongside the less well known cool climate varieties that are gaining a reputation. Our Sixteen Ridges range of wines are predominantly Pinot Noir, and have rapidly engaged consumer interest. We find the majority of consumers feel comfortable with a recognised grape variety, and as such are more willing to try English, which will lead them onto some of the more unusual varieties.
UK Sparkling wine has really taken off in the last decade gaining an excellent reputation both in the UK and abroad. Our climate tends to suit traditional method sparkling, producing racy base wines that gain layers of complexity with ageing. Building experience and skill in the winery has helped to lift quality levels of English Wine to the point where they regularly out perform Champagnes in blind tastings and competitions.”
English Wine Week during 23rd – 31st May is a national campaign to raise awareness of English wine and to celebrate the UK’s growing international reputation.
Ledbury is playing host to a variety of events during the week, including an exclusive tasting evening at the Feathers Hotel, in conjunction with Simon Day of Haygrove Evolution. The hotel will host nine of the Three Counties vineyards, including Sixteen Ridges, Elgar wines from Lovells vineyard, The Three Choirs, The Lea, Coddington Vineyard, Broadfield Court, Frome Valley, Castle Brook and Sparchall.
Hay wines, Ledbury’s only independent wine merchant, will host wine and cheese tastings on 23rd and 30th May; The Nest, Ledbury’s new deli, restaurant and garden centre will be holding an English wine tasting on 31st May; The Three Counties Cider Shop will be holding tastings of local wine, and its exclusive ice Cider, during the 10 day celebration.
Press release by Sixteen Ridges Vineyard and Haygrove Evolution