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Cider presses are gearing up for action in this corner of Herefordshire, and Big Apple venues are standing by to welcome you to the Marcle Ridge on Saturday 12^th and Sunday 13^th October.  The apple harvest will be in full swing – no matter which way you turn around Much Marcle, apples are everywhere!  Not to mention pears – perry pears of course. 

Eight familiar Big Apple venues, including Woodredding, Lyne Down, Hellens, Gregg’s Pit and Awnells Farm, alongside Westons Cider with their new sales area and tasting room, will be welcoming visitors to enjoy the orchards, see, hear and smell cider being made and taste many different varieties of apples, local ciders, perries and apple juices.  And don’t miss apple teas at the Memorial Hall! 

This year’s highlights include:

• Giving a hand to press perry pears from the ancient avenue at Hellens Manor
• Wheeling along with the Big Apple Bike Ride
• Tasting ‘Five cheeses, four ciders and a perry’ hosted by Brian and Fran Robbins at Woodredding, with Dean Storey of Monkland Cheesemakers
• Sessions on practical aspects of planting and pruning apple trees led by orchardist Martin Hayes
• The chance to buy refurbished garden tools from Tools for Self Reliance Cymru
• A talk from agronomist Matt Greep describing the ‘Friends and foes of an apple orchard’ – a ‘must’ for those who like to do things for themselves
• Adam Wells talking about his recent book ‘Perry: a Drinker’s Guide’ alongside tastings of five Herefordshire perries
• Gregg’s Pit offering a tutored tasting of three vintages of their single variety Thorn champagne perry.

 There will be tasty food offers to tempt you and musical interludes including Ciderkin Session, Ross Folk Choir, Leominster Morris, Gidderskins and Blackthorn Ritualistic Folk are to be found in and around the different orchards.

Full details of venues including locations, parking, special events and advance booking (where required), can be found at https://www.bigapple.org.uk/harvestime/.

Once again, a tractor and trailer service will run between Westons and Awnells Farm, and the 232 Daffodil Line bus will provide a regular connection between Much Marcle and Ledbury, Newent and Ross-on-Wye.

The Big Apple is delighted to be working alongside others this year to place apples right at the heart of Herefordshire under the umbrella of Hereford AppleFest.

Information provided to us by The Big Apple Association.

We are holding our AGM on Monday 12^th August at 6.00pm 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 2024/25.

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

Access the following papers for the meeting via the links:

1. Agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Ledbury Food Group
2. Secretary’s Report for the year 2023/24
3. Income and Expenditure Account for the year 2023/24

We are hoping to provide Zoom access to this meeting.

…and an Apology

We apologise that due to technical problems our website has not been available for the last few weeks.  The problems are now resolved.

Because of the problem, you may not have seen the blog on July’s successful Ledbury Celebration event – this is now available at Ledbury Celebration Beats The Weather.

The Ledbury Celebration on Sunday 7th July celebrates the local food and drink of Herefordshire and its neighbouring counties with an added menu of music, poetry and our historic heritage.

This year’s event again brings an 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:

• Aseem & Asia’s Afghan Food – exotic bakery
• Ali’s BBQ – charcoal grilled burgers
• Berry’s Luxury Ice Cream – says it all
• Continuum Conceits – desirable chocolate
• Dizzy Dudes – Cocktails and Mocktails
• Gregg’s Pit – prize-winning cider and perry
• Kitchen Flowers – versatile food products from flowers
• Ledbury Country Market – apple juice, honey, bakery
• Little Marcle Organic Produce – fresh organic veg boxes
• Molton Bene Pizza – fresh pizza
• Monkland Cheese – cheese from Herefordshire
• New Market House Café – Laszlo’s Goulash
• Orchard Grove Preserves – local jams and chutneys
• Seb’s Cider – traditional Herefordshire Cider
• Whinny’s – coffee, teas, frappés and more
• Wilce’s Ledbury Cider – our most local cider
• Wykeham Gardens – plants for your garden

And we hope more!

In addition you will find:

• Kid’s Kitchen introducing children to cooking
• Sustainable Ledbury – find out about living more sustainably
• Our own stand – ask us about local food
• Herefordshire Food Alliance – find out about the national Food Conversation and getting informed about food issues
• 50 years of Ledbury Carnival exhibition – transport to the 1970s

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 12.45pm – Freddie Barker – Worcestershire Poet Laureate 2024-5 and a multimedia powerhouse creative.
• At 1.45pm – Emma Clowsley – “unflinchingly honest, laugh out loud funny, and at times profoundly relatable.”
• At 2.45pm – Jonny Fluffypunk – Stand-up poet, lo-fi theatre maker and self-made underachiever

And

• Through the afternoon – Kornel Kossuth aka The Poetry Busker. Kornel writes poems on the spot on his 1935 Remington Portable for passers-by based on the topics and ideas given him. Your opportunity to influence a poem!

And a feast of musical entertainment…

• At 12pm – Four Crying Out Loud – Since being formed in a desert of public anticipation, they have become Ledbury’s favourite Boy Band
• At 1pm – 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 2pm – Marie McNally – a professional multi-instrumentalist with a great passion for music, especially the saxophone – will entertain with a mix of lively sax hits and her infectious energetic performance.
• At 3pm – The Banderos – a dynamic and authentic blues band delivering the true essence & soul of the genre

And to end a special day…

• At 3.40pm – Ledbury Border Morris will close the event with their unique blend of border counties traditional dances

And you can visit Ledbury’s heritage sites – the Church, The Heritage Centre and the Town itself, or book in for a session of poetry at Ledbury Poetry Festival on the last day of the festival. – Programme at https://ledburypoetry.org.uk/home/whats-on/

Can you help us at this event?

We always need help to prepare the site for the event and to take things down when it ends. We also need help with stewarding during the event.  If you can help please ring Griff at 01531 633637 or email ledburycelebration@gmail.com.  You will be valued!

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

With financial help from Ledbury Town Council and:

We invite you to join the national Food Conversation at the Burgage Hall, Ledbury on Monday 10^th June from 7pm.

We are running with Herefordshire Food Alliance an evening of discussion to explore what you expect from government and business when it comes to food – and how the food system can deliver more for health, nature and climate.

A lot of people claim to know what ‘people’ think.

They say “people don’t want a nanny state” or “people choose to eat junk food” and don’t want to be told what to eat. 

But has anybody ever asked you what you REALLY want from food.

Food production is subject to increasing challenges – flooding, crop failure, production costs, climate change – and issues about quality, distribution, price to consumers, nutritional value etc.

Join us with people whose role is to bring food to your table to explore issues and see how we can progress.

Place: Burgage Hall, Church Lane, Ledbury HR8 1DW

Time: Tasty local food from 7pm – Discussion/conversation from 7.30pm

Parking: Public car parks are free after 6pm – St Katherine’s and Bye Street are the nearest.

Free event – donations to Ledbury Food Bank appreciated.

The Food Conversation is run by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission – more information can be found at https://thefoodconversation.uk/

This event takes place as part of The Ledbury Great Big Green Week.

A Springtime Celebration of orchards, apples and cider in the Herefordshire parishes of Putley and Aylton

Sunday 5th and Monday 6th May, 11am to 5pm

It’s your special springtime opportunity to enjoy the lovely countryside nestling below the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire, where local orchards are famous both for their cider fruit and their dessert and culinary fruit. 

The event takes place at three venues over two days, 11am to 5pm, in and around Putley and Aylton.

 One event – three venues to enjoy!

This year, The Big Apple has spread its wings to co-ordinate activities across three familiar venues, Putley Parish Hall, Court Farm Barn in Aylton and Putley’s Dragon Orchard.

Head first for Putley Parish Hall.  This will be the Information Hub, where visitors can park, buy their entrance tickets (£5 for adults, children under 16 free, valid for all three venues), pick up leaflets and start walks, both guided and ‘freestyle’, around the orchards.

The Parish Hall will also be the centre for refreshments, and the famous Blossomtime lunches and teas.  Lunches on Sunday will be provided by Aylton PCC from 11am – 2pm; Munsley WI will provide teas from 2-5pm.  On Monday, lunches will be provided by Ledbury Young Farmers Club and teas from 2pm by Putley WI.

On the Sunday Evening Putley Parish Hall will host an evening of songs and entertainment from 7pm – ‘Bloomin Blossomtime’.  Tickets on the door.

Court Farm Barn, Aylton will be the centre for arts, crafts, demonstrations, workshops and talks. Over the course of the two days, Hannah and Cheryl from Laughing Betsy will co-ordinate an installation, a collaboration between visitors, craftspeople and artists to reflect themes of regeneration, re-use, natural materials and nature.

Dragon Orchard will host the cider and perry tastings, cider/perry makers’ stalls and music and entertainment at The Big Hug.  Or visitors can just wander amongst the fruit trees in the orchard, soaking up the sounds and scents of nature. “I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven” said one visitor last year!

Visitors will be encouraged to walk between the three venues – they are all within easy reach of each other – but for those who may need some assistance or just for the sheer fun of it, a tractor and passenger trailer will be available, as has happened at Harvestime for several years now.

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