BBC Radio Somerset Wednesday 28 April

Do listen in to BBC Radio Somerset on the morning of Wednesday 28 April.  Our friend Rachel Brewer, the pommelier at the National Trust's Barrington Court property, will be speaking at 7.15, and then at 8.15 our very own Neil Macdonald will be talking about our orchards and Apple Blossom Day.

Don't miss it!

Get well soon, Chris

We've just heard that Chris at Pennard Plants is unwell and they won't be able to attend Apple Blossom Day.  We wish you a speedy recovery Chris.

The Orchard Pig wins at the Taste of Somerset Awards

NEWSFLASH!


Last night, at the Taste of Somerset awards, held at The Mill on the Brue in Bruton, The Orchard Pig trotted off with the award for the Best Somerset Drinks Producer! We were in stiff competition with some of the county's best producers so we are doubly pleased. The awards nominations all come from readers of the Blackmore Vale publications so we offer a huge thank you to all the people who said they liked our drinks enough for us to win.

Mendip Moments ice cream

Perhaps Sunday 2 May will be a really hot and sunny day, in which case ice cream will definitely be on the menu at Apple Blossom Day!


Mendip Moments use their own milk and cream from their pedigree dairy herd of Holstein cows to make their indulgent ice cream.


Their delicious flavours include 
Vanilla Bean
Peppermint with Dark Chocolate
Clotted Cream and Honeycomb
Mascarpone, Fig and Honey
Stem Ginger
Somerset Strawberries and Clotted Cream
Somerset Raspberries and Greek Yogurt
and
Lemon Curd


Which one will you go for?


Find out more at http://www.mendipmoments.co.uk/index.php

Pennard Plants

Our near neighbours Pennard Plants are coming to Apple Blossom Day for the first time this year.  We are very excited that we have been able to persuade them to take part.  Pennard Plants is in a beautiful walled garden at East Pennard, Somerset.  They specialise in fantastic agapanthus plants, a gorgeous native of South Africa that is aclimatising happily here as it gets a bit warmer.


I have a big pot with the evergreen variety Bluety which I think has come through the winter unscathed. Can't wait to see the wonderful flower spikes with their bright blue heads.


For more see http://www.pennardplants.com/


Pennard Plants also has a terrific collection of heritage seeds, lots of old varieties that are not available anywhere else.

Fergus the Tractor

The Orchard Pig is delighted to welcome author Steve Burnside to Apple Blossom Day.  Steve has written ten delightful children's books about Fergus the tractor, Farmer Pete and all their friends.  He will be at West Bradley Orchards, with his tractor, to answer questions from all his many fans!


Find out more at www.fergusandfriends.com

Pears in bud

The pear trees are the first in the orchard to show their blossom.  As the weather warms up we can see the buds just starting to burst, to be followed by the white blossom of the pear tree.  Here at West Bradley we grow four different kinds of pear - Conference, Comice, Concorde and Beth.  We expect warm sunshine over the next few days and in no time at all the whole orchard will start to twinkle with little starbursts of blossom.