Over 700 people have helped continue the tradition of hand-picking apples from the orchard at the National Trust’s Killerton estate, in time to be pressed at Killerton’s Apple Festival on 13 and 14 October. Thanks to hundreds of helping hands they were able to pick approximately 6 tonnes of apples, ready for the start of the cider and apple making season.
The apples are harvested then pressed on a 200-year-old cider press during the event to make the estate’s award winning cider and apple juice, which people can see being made at the apple festival this weekend. Killerton is home...
Orchards on the Killerton estate are bursting with apples this autumn and the National Trust rangers and volunteers have been busy harvesting them in time for their annual cider and apple festival on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October.
The frost in May caused concern that the orchards might be bare this autumn but the summer rain has meant the orchards are full of apples, including some varieties like the Killerton Sweet, Killerton Sharp and Star of Devon which are unique to this small area.
Andy Bramwell from the National Trust explains why there were concerns, ‘A frost in...
Despite British farmers producing 60% of the food we eat in this country, many consumers are unsure of what we actually grow in Britain according to a new survey released this week, with many unaware we grow staple foods like potatoes, apples and oats.
The survey, commissioned by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) ahead of this weekend’s Open Farm Sunday revealed that one in three (33 per cent) people do not know that we grow apples, which have been farmed in this country since Roman times. Chips, roast potatoes and porridge may be some of the nation’s favourite foods but it...
Help us wake up the apple trees in our orchard for our next cider crop in the autumn. Bring something along with you to make a loud noise, featuring live music.
Free entry for national trust members, please visit nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton for further details.
In stark contrast to last autumn, the Killerton National Trust estate near Exeter is celebrating a bumper crop of apples at this weekend’s Killerton cider and apple festival. On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October, months of apple picking at Killerton culminates in an annual family festival to mark National Apple Day. The orchard is festooned with bunting, stalls are scattered between the apple trees and the amazing smell of a hog roast will greet visitors at the gates. Helen Trebble, Killerton Community Access Officer said: “This weekend we invite families to grab a sack and join us in the...
The orchards at Killerton Estate, near Exeter, are full to bursting this autumn. On the weekends of 5/6 October and 13/14 October, from 11am until 4pm each day, families are invited to head into the orchard to help collect up apples to be pressed for Killerton’s award-winning cider.
The ‘Big Pick Up’ is a free family activity, with mini wheelbarrows for the children and free cider tasters in the orchard for the adults. There is also an apple quiz and members of Killerton’s countryside team will be on hand to help with the answers.
In my article about the Apple Day event at Quicke's the other day I mentioned the apple pancakes I made, but of course kept you all in suspense about how to make them. So now here is the recipe.
2 eggs 400 ml milk 250 g plain flour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for cooking 2 teaspoons baking powder A pinch of salt 2 tablespoons caster sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or allspice 3 medium sized cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated Icing sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup or whatever you'd like on your pancakes Mix all the ingredients, except the apples, to a batter the...
A celebration of Apple Day at the home of Quicke's Traditional cheese near Crediton was blessed with some sunny Autumnal weather. The sunshine bought out the crowds with visitors from all over Devon and beyond.
Many local food and drink producers were present and offering tastings and sales of some great local produce. Pebblebed Wines from Topsham were offering tastes of their beautiful dry but fruity white and rose wines, and Kennford Farm shop was selling its lovely meat products. Sandford Orchards tempted us with warming mulled cider using Barny Butterfield's secret...
