Congratulations to Jackie Denman, the founder and driving force behind the Herefordshire ‘Big Apple’ festivals, who has been awarded a Gold Medal for a Lifetime Contribution to the Cider Industry by the Royal Bath and West Show.
Jackie, who started the Big Apple in the village of Putley in 1989, received her award from Bath and West Chief Executive, Rupert Cox, in the Orchards and Cider Pavilion on the first day of the Show. Continue reading “Accolade for Herefordshire’s Big Apple founder”
Ledbury Food Group’s exhibition of Pat Strauss’ photographs, “A Fruit Farming Year: Nature and Nuture”, is now fully open and is not to be missed. Not only are the photos stunning, the slideshow narrated by Chrissy Bentley is also excellent. At a special opening last night, all the invitees commented on the quality of the slideshow.
The exhibition is at The Master’s House. Check out the opening hours here.
Tickets for the talk “Castle Fruit Farm – The Story Behind The Photos” by Michael and son Ritchie Bentley on Monday 4th June (7.30 – 9.00 pm) are still available from the library (£5). Michael is a fascinating and inspirational speaker and this will be a special evening. Don’t miss it!
The exhibition runs until Saturday 9th June.
Ledbury’s High Street is the place for a town party and food fair celebrating all that’s best in Ledbury on the last day of the Ledbury Poetry Festival.
Food and drink stalls will recall markets of yore lining Ledbury’s historic High Street leading to an entertainment area around the 17th century Market House.
The poetry and music stage compered by comedy poet Rob Barrett will provide entertainment from 12 noon to 5pm featuring poets Kurly McGeachie (“hip hop Shakespeare”) and Nico Reznick, plus music from the Ludlow Jazz Collective and SassCappella singing group, and dance from 365Dance. Continue reading “A Ledbury Celebration on Ledbury High Street – Sunday 8th July”
This is somewhat exotic but spinach is in season now and its a lovely recipe. If you really do not want to use cream then low fat crème fraiche would be fine instead.
May I recommend Matt’s Kitchin, a new venture in the Homend Mall. The trained chef makes his own home cooked meals to take away and also sells small quantities of spices, which are very useful if you do not use them very often as out of date spices are no good at all and will not impart any flavour, best put in the bin I am afraid. A wide range of spices in small refill sachets is also available in Handley Organics. Continue reading “May Recipe: Kashmir Lamb with Spinach”
Our 5th Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 21st May at 7.30pm at the Talbot Hotel, New Street Ledbury.
Apart from the normal formal business of the AGM which is covered in the Meeting Agenda, we invite you to join us for an Open Session to chew the fat on local food issues. Continue reading “Ledbury Food Group Annual General Meeting on Monday 21st May”
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. Continue reading “Blossomtime in Putley with The Big Apple Sunday 6th and Monday 7th May 2018”
Ledbury Food Group’s eagerly awaited photographic exhibition “A Fruit Farming Year: Nature and Nurture”, featuring photos by local photographer Pat Strauss, will be on display from 26 May – 9 June in the Panelled Room of the Master’s House.
Ledbury Food Group arranged for Pat to visited the family-run modern commercial orchards of Castle Fruit Farm throughout one farming year. Expecting perhaps a simple cycle of planting, growing and picking, we discover instead a myriad of diverse but interconnected activities. In winter, when the countryside appears dormant, we see workers juggling the weather to plant and protect young trees, alongside bird netting and counting, and putting up nesting boxes. Migrating birds are orchard “workers” too, clearing pests and cleaning up unharvested fruit.