The Festival of British Fruit, organised by the Marden Fruit Show Society is delighted to announce that its public event this year will celebrate National Apple Day on the 19th and 20th of October.
Sainsbury PLC and AC Goatham and Son, Britain’s largest apple and pear grower, have joined forces with the Festival of British fruit to hold a ‘meet the grower’ at The Barnyard, Gore Farm, Upchurch near Sittingbourne. Visitors will be encouraged to try many of the varieties grown in the UK, meet the growers, walk through the orchards and talk with the team from Sainsbury about their commitment to great British Fruit.
Samples of hot Bramley apple pie from the Bramley campaign will remind visitors of the wonderful quality and diversity of Britain’s leading culinary apple. Sainsburys product development team will be on hand to talk about great fruit products available in store and their ongoing support for British growers and product. The team from the Festival of British fruit will be showcasing the fabulous display of apples and pears from all over Britain, which will have been entered in the National Fruit Show three days earlier.
Sarah Calcutt, Marden Fruit Show Society Chairman, said: “Since its inception the ‘Post Show’ event has travelled to different parts of the country to showcase the very best home-grown fruit for consumers. In 2010 we re-branded the event as The Festival of British Fruit and have given the public the opportunity to taste new varieties not yet available for sale and talk to fruit growers about modern orchards, seasonality and how to store fruit once purchased. We are delighted to be staying in Kent this year to be part National Apple Day with Sainsbury and AC Goatham & Son.”
Sarah continued: “The winning fruit from each of our competition classes at the National Fruit Show will be displayed and visitors to Gore Farm will have the opportunity to taste new varieties such as Kanzi, Jazz, Rubens, Cameo and Zari as well as the traditional British Cox apple, Conference and Comice pear and not forgetting Britain’s most popular apples gala and Braeburn*.”
Produced in Kent, organiser of ‘The Taste of Kent Awards’ is introducing a new class the ‘Garden of England Champions – Top Fruit’ to be judged at the Festival of British Fruit. Sponsored by BTF Partnership, these prestigious new awards will be awarded to the Tastiest Apple and Tastiest Pear grown in a Kent orchard. Judging will take place during the event with the presentation of the Trophy and Certificate taking place in Spring 2014.
Visitors to the event will get the chance to talk to growers, sample the wide variety of commercial fruit available and take a tour of a successful modern fruit farm. Entry to the event is free and additional parking will be available. Please visit www.the-barnyard.comfor more details.
NB* varieties for tasting will be dependent on the growing season and some of the late varieties may not be available.
