Ten things to look forward to at the Bramley Apple Festival 2021
Saturday 23 October will see the return of Southwell’s Bramley Apple Festival. Now more than a quarter of a century old, this event celebrates the renowned Bramley cooking apple and its historic connection to the town where it was originally planted in 1809.
After the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the pandemic, the festivities in 2021 boast a full menu of attractions for visitors to enjoy. In preparation for the day itself, we’re here with your guide of ten things to look forward to when the Bramley Festival makes its anticipated return:
Experience the festival of food and drink
Between 10am and 4pm visitors to Southwell Minster will be able to sample and purchase a variety of mouth-watering goods at the Festival of Food and Drink. The festival will comprise of thirty market stalls, each specialising in tasty treats, from cakes, jams and pies, to sausages and juices. Fun children’s activities are also set to take place in the State Chamber!
To commemorate the special occasion, there will be an impressive display of apples of all sizes and colours, and of course, an opportunity to buy Southwell-grown Bramley apples. Take a look around and who knows, perhaps you’ll spot the apple of your eye?
Watch spectacular cooking shows
Live cooking demonstrations will take place at the Minster between 10:45am and 14:55pm. Witness masterclasses in culinary arts, from chocolate making to the creation of authentic chapatis and parathas. Special guest Laurence Henry – Nottinghamshire’s home grown winner of Masterchef the Professionals – will be taking the stage at 10:45am to display his incredible cooking abilities in an event that’s sure to get taste buds tingling.
Spot apples in stained glass
While exploring the Minster be sure to seek the unique window dedicated to Southwell’s apple growing past. Completed in 2009, the installation celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mary Ann Brailsford planting the pip which would grow into Southwell’s prestigious Bramley apple tree. The mesmerising geometric patterns of the fruit and interwoven leaves has been purposely designed to be in keeping with the twelfth century design of the Minster.
Admire incredible window dressings
Shopfronts throughout Southwell will be adorned with imaginative apple-themed decorations for visitors to admire. Past displays have included artwork, intricate flower displays and arrangements of apples into imaginative designs from woodland creatures to the ‘Bramleysaurus’.
Enjoy apple-themed products and refreshments
Alongside creative window displays, shops will be selling special products in honour of Southwell’s historic cooking apple. Meanwhile, local cafés, restaurants and pubs will be adapting their menus in celebration of the apple responsible for producing 80,000 tons of fruit a year.
Encounter royalty
The excitement will continue at Southwell library with the crowning of the Bramley Apple King, Queen, Prince and Princess. This will follow a day of fancy dress pageantry from local children, all competing to win prizes for best themed outfits. The winners shall receive their crowns at 3pm from Roger Merryweather – event chairman and great-grandson of Henry Merryweather, the first person to grow Bramley trees commercially.
Discover the Bramley Apple Farm
A special tour of Starkey’s Fruit Farm has been arranged at 2pm. Located on a former deer park nestled between ancient oak trees, fruit has grown on this land for over 100 years. Nowadays, the fruits of the Starkey’s labour create delicious juices, cider and compote. This tour will grant you the chance to experience beautiful orchards which have become a haven for butterflies, moths, woodpeckers and hares.
Explore Bramley Apple Heritage Trails
For the more adventurous, Southwell is home to a number of heritage walks ranging from three to ten kilometres. Take in sights such as Norwood Park, the Workhouse and the Southwell trail, once a busy railway line which helped the original Bramley apples to reach the markets from which they became world famous.
Learn about the Bramley’s international links
Did you know Bramley apples have growing links to Japan? Bramley orchards have become a special feature of the Japanese town of Obuse, resulting in the creation of popular new recipes. In celebration of this connection, one of the special guests at the festival will be Yuri Kawakami Shotton, whose work aims to strengthen this link between the UK and Japan.
See where it all began
Finally, the garden housing the original Bramley apple tree will be open for all to visit between 11am and 3pm. Thanks to the efforts of a specialist team from Nottingham Trent University, this ‘mother’ tree has received the care and support it needs. At over 200 years old it still bears fruit and is a must see for anyone wanting to connect with Southwell’s unique heritage!
With these attractions and more, this year’s Bramley Apple Festival is set to be fun for all the family. Take a trip to Southwell on 23 October to be sure not to miss out on this unique opportunity to celebrate Southwell’s famous fruit!
To find out more about the events taking place at this year’s event, follow these links to the Southwell Town Council website and the festival Facebook page.
To learn more about the history of the Bramley apple see our previous blog made for the 2019 festival
Written by Will Parkinson, Economic Growth and Tourism Apprentice at Newark and Sherwood District Council