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/.

Full details of the 2026 Ledbury Big Breakfast now available 

 Join us for Ledbury’s Celebration of Breakfast over the weekend of Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th February – the 14th Ledbury Big Breakfast.  (Check here for latest updates)

Local venues in Ledbury town and district are taking part on one or more days in this event organised by Ledbury Food Group.  They invite you to celebrate our local food and drink producers and retailers and a healthy breakfast.  The event takes place at cafes, pubs, hotels, butchers and delis in and around Ledbury.

Ledbury Big Breakfast

 A welcome breakfast at the Scrumpy House

There is lots of choice from the lightest to the heaviest breakfast showing the ingenuity of our local food venues – check through the listing below for something to sample, savour and enjoy

Visit our butchers – Gurneys and Wallers – to discover their breakfast delights for you to take home and enjoy. 

Our delis will feature a wide range of local produce to take home to make a special breakfast.

The Country Market at St Katherine’s Hall on Friday will have lots of local produce for sale for your breakfast at home, as will Hellens Produce Market at Hellens Manor on Saturday.  Both will be serving breakfasts this year.

We have several new businesses taking part – the Malbury Café, Sorrel and Sage, and others expected. and there is a Bingo Brunch at the Ledbury Community Hub.

Things get very busy on the Saturday morning – if you see something or somewhere you fancy, please book in advance where possible to avoid disappointment.  More places now offer breakfasts on Sunday.

See below for full details of what specials are available, where and when – many venues will also offer their normal breakfast menu.  A number offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten free optionsTimes are when breakfasts will be available.

The full listing of special offerings – what, where and when?

Based on information provided by the participants.  Many will also have their usual breakfast offerings available and will be open during their normal hours.

Cafés, Hotels and Pubs 

Big Breakfast at The Seven Stars

Tucking in at the Seven Stars

The Corner House Cafe, 1 The Southend

9.45-16.00 FRI, SAT & SUN      
Phone 01531 635752                  Take-aways – Call & CollectBookings

  • Choose from seven different breakfasts in all sizes including with Bubble and Squeak and Vegetarian Options
  • Breakfast sandwiches and sub rolls
  • Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs

Produce from: Wallers, Ledbury Market, Baker’s Dozen, LDA

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free catered for.

The Feathers Hotel, 25 High Street

8.30-10.45 SAT only 
Phone: 01531 635266                 Bookings

  • Hot smoked salmon & crab, toasted muffin, poached eggs, avocado, Hollandaise sauce
  • Devilled lamb kidney, stuffed portobello mushroom, charred Cheddar & Jalapeno bread
  • Sauteed Edamame beans, garden peas & butter beans plum tomato, Feta & oregano Sauce, toasted sourdough

Produce from: LDA Meats
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free catered for

 Handley Organic Café, 5 High St

9.30 – 15.00 FRI & SAT  
Phone: 01531 631136                           Take-aways 

  • Alex Gooch’s croissant filled with omelette, cheese and tomato filling
  • Seasonal fruit, yoghurt and g/f granola

 Produce from: Alex Gooch Baker (Croissants), Riverford (tomatoes) and our own granola

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free catered for

 Hellens Manor, Much Marcle, Ledbury HR8 2LY     

9.30-11.30 SAT ONLY at our Monthly Produce Market         
Phone: 07980 657901                

  • Our special Bacon Rolls featuring local bbq-ed bacon
  • Peter Cooks pastries, croissants, pan au chocolate, cinnamon rolls
  • Tea and Coffee

Produce from: Peter Cooks Bread, Wallers (Butchers), and our regular market stallholders with more breakfast goodies!

 Vegetarian

 Ledbury Community Hub, 8 New Street

11.30-13.30 SAT ONLY              

Boozy Brunch and Bingo

Join us for our Boozy Brunch and Bingo – a round of Bingo, a brunchy buffet and a boisterous start to February

Book at www.ledburycommunityhub.org.uk/special-events or just turn up.

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

 The Malbury Café, Lower Mitchell Barns, HR8 1EG (access from A449)

8.30-11.00 FRI, SAT & SUN
Phone 07846 899350

Try our Full Malbury breakfast or the lighter Small Malbury breakfast – we are offering 20% discount for this weekend

Produce from: Wallers (meats), Country Flavours (eggs)

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

 Malthouse Café, Church Lane

 Watch this space for details – under new management

Mews Bouche, Homend Mews

 Watch this space for details – new business

Breakfast at The Nest

Breakfast at The Nest

 The Nest at Little Verzons Farm, Hereford Road, HR8 2PZ

9.00-15.00 FRI, SAT & SUN       

Phone: 01531 670816                 Take-aways – Call & Collect – Booking advisable

  • Nest Breakfast 3 Ways. Traditional Full English, Veggie breakfast using Handmade Scotch Egg Company Veggie patty, or Vegan breakfast with the star of the breakfast our Bubble and Squeak.
  • New York bagels with either Smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado and halloumi or Bacon, sausage, hash browns
  • Devilled Kidneys served on sourdough toast
  • Smoked Kippers served with buttery scrambled eggs
  • Smashed Avocado on sourdough toast

Produce from: Handmade Scotch Egg Company, LDA Meats Ledbury, Bakers Dozen Ledbury, Peter Cooks Bread, Corporal Nicks Herefordshire Sauce, Country Flavours Free Range Eggs, Cotteswold Dairy, Severn and Wye Smokery.

Local produce available to buy in our shop for your home breakfast

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

 New Market House Café & Grill, 1 The Homend

10.00-15.00 FRI & SAT, 11.00-15.00 SUN
Phone: 01531 635059                 Take-aways – Call & Collect – Bookings

 Laslo’s surprise breakfast specials

  • Our special pancake selection

Produce from: Gurney’s Butchers, Rob at Ledbury Market

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

Scrumpy House Restaurant – H Weston & Sons Ltd, Much Marcle, HR8 2NQ

9.00 – 11.00 FRI, SAT & SUN    
Phone: 01531 660626                 Bookings

  • Full English breakfast/Veggie breakfast GF available
  • Free range poached eggs on toast GF
  • Wye Valley oak smoked salmon & scrambled eggs with toast GF
  • Smashed avocado on toasted sour dough bread with grilled tomato VG GF
  • Homemade banana toasted tea bread VG
  • Homemade muesli with mixed berries & yoghurt V Contains nuts

Produce from: Neil Powell Butchers, Country Flavour Eggs, New Wave Seafood, Dole Hereford

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

 The Seven Stars, 11 The Homend

9.00-11.00 SAT & SUN   
Phone 01531 635800                  Bookings

  • Full English breakfast with a Vegetarian option
  • Smashed avocado and smoked salmon
  • Eggs Florentine or Benedict
  • Pancakes
  • Sausage or bacon baps
  • Homemade granola and yogurt
  • Fruit platter

Produce from: LDA Meats, The Baker’s Dozen, and our own farm

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

Serving at The Shell House

Working hard to serve you at The Shell House

 The Shell House Kitchen, 36 The Homend                       

10.00-15.00 FRI, SAT & SUN      
Phone: 01531 632676                 Bookings

  • Full English
  • Full vegetarian or vegan
  • Eggs Benedict
  • Eggs Royale
  • Pancakes

Produce from: Gurneys (Butchers), Four Seasons Fruiterers, Bishops Frome Eggs

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free options

Sorrel and Sage, Trumpet HR8 2RA

9.00–15.00 FRI & SAT 11.00-15.00 SUN         

Phone: 01531 826080                 Take-aways – Call & Collect – Bookings

  • Warm Breakfast Frittata served with wilted spinach and spicy beans
  • Potato Rosti topped with spicy beans, guacamole, tomato salsa, crème fraiche and coriander
  • Pea and Basil Pesto on toasted Alex Gooch sourdough served with sweet chilli halloumi and poached egg, or with wilted spinach and tofu
  • Croissant Toastie with salted caramel apples and mascarpone cream cheese

And our regular dishes

Produce from: Alex Gooch Artisan Baker, Gurneys Butchers, Pengethley Farm Shop Butchers, Country Flavours, Dragon Orchard, Trumpers Tea, James’ Gourmet Coffee

Vegetarian, Vegan (limited), Gluten Free options

Delicatessens & Shops

Ceci Paolo, 21 High Street

9.0-1700 FRI & SAT  
Phone 01531 632976

Local breakfast produce for your take home breakfast. 

Local products include:

  • Severn and Wye Smokery salmon and other smoked products
  • Three Counties Honey
  • Peter Cooks Bread – bread and pastries,
  • Charles Martell (cheeses),
  • Neal’s Yard Creamery (cheeses and yogurt)
  • Artisan Kitchen Jams and Marmalades
  • Ludlow Nut company Porridge and Granola
  • Our own prepared food

Plus Continental cheeses and meats to compliment local products

Handley Organic (Shop), 5 High Street

All day FRI & SAT            

Phone: 01531 631136

Lots of local produce and ingredients to make a tasty breakfast to take home including cereals, eggs, bakery, dairy etc.

Organic, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free products

Butchers

 Gurneys Butchers, 21 The Homend

All day – FRI & SAT
Phone: 01531 632526

Try our special – the Gurney’s Breakfast Banger – our creation for the Big Breakfast.

Lots of other locally produced breakfast ingredients for you.

Dave Waller with the Pinwheel Sausage

2025’s Pinwheel Sausage at Wallers

 David T Waller and Sons, 88 The Homend

All day – FRI & SAT
Phone 01531 632739

Wallers have developed the 2026  “Waller’s Breakfast Pinwheel” featuring pork, black pudding, tomato, sausage and bacon – to be served on a bed of toast with a poached egg  on top.

Many locally produced ingredients to complete your breakfast.

Country Market

Burgage Hall, Church Lane

9.00 – 12.00 FRI only

  • Golden sourdough toast, piled with soft, creamy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, served with a glass of locally produced apple juice.
  • Home-baked teacakes also available.

Produce for our breakfasts from: Gurney’s Butchers, Country flavours Eggs, Lucy Hill’s Country Market sourdough, Skittery’s apple juice.

AND local produce for you to take home for a special breakfast (or other meal!)

Ledbury Food BankPlease support Ledbury Food Bank

Find out how at:

www.ledburyfoodbank.org