Press Release 18th October 2002

‘Apples invade London’

From Pitmaston Pineapple to Gascoigne Scarlet, the seemingly innocent English apple will swamp the capital on Apple Day. On the 26th October, farmers’ markets in London will be knee deep in fruit for the weekend. After a bumper harvest in Kent, farmers will be converging on the capital with a huge amount of apple products and staging apple related events to raise awareness of the English apple. Many fruit orchards are disappearing as fruit is largely (90%) imported. As more and more supermarkets switch to buying fruit from Australia and South Africa, many Kent fruit growers choose farmers’ markets as the place to sell their orchard fruits.

In conjunction with London Food Link, London Farmers’ Markets will be celebrating English orchards and the variety of orchard fruits, especially apples and pears.

At 11am at Pimlico Road a giant apple pie will be auctioned off slice by slice for charity by an infamous auctioneer. Apple games will be arranged and juice pressing will be in action from a hand press. There will be apple juice and apple and quince cheese and products on special offer at various stalls on the market. The trees on the square will be decorated with varieties of apples. Also being auctioned -preview bottles of Burrow Hill Somerset Apple Aperitif, made with apple brandy and the juice of Kingston Black – the pinot noir of the apple world.

At Notting Hill, over 100 varieties of English apples will be on sale and on display. Many rare and unusual varieties will be available for tasting. Money from the sales of these apples will go to charity. There will be a display of city bee-keeping, essential for the pollination of orchards, and sale of London honey, plus apple and quince cheese, apple and pear butters, pork and apple sausages…

At Wimbledon there will be a Display of over 100 English apple varieties from Perry Court Farm, along with Apple and quince cheeses, apple butter and more from England Preserves and honey from our Norfolk honey man, including new season heather honey.

At other London Markets:

At Peckham on Sunday 27th October Chef Emma Marsden, deputy cookery editor of Good Housekeeping Magazine will be demonstrating recipes using local seasonal fruit, such as pork with sauteed apples and honey glazed apples. There will also be honey from our Norfolk beekeeper, including new season heather honey and apple and quince cheeses, apple sauce, apple and pear butters…

At Blackheath on Sunday 27th October Display of over 100 varieties of apples to taste and buy from Perry Court Farm Honey from Norfolk honeyman, including new season heather honey and barbecued organic pork and apple sausages

On the same day at Peckham farmers’ market, chef Emma Marsden, deputy cookery editor of Good Housekeeping Magazine will be demonstrating recipes using seasonal fruit including honey glazed apples and pork with sautéed apples. Blackheath farmers’ market will include a display of over 100 varieties of apples to taste. At least 125 varieties of apples and pears are grown commercially within this London Farmers’ Markets catchment. 30 out of the 107 producers at the 12 markets run by LFM are organic or in conversion.

London Farmers’ Markets is a member of London Food Link (LFL). LFL aims to develop a local, diverse and more sustainable food system in the capital. This will make it easier to get more affordable food, which has been grown or produced in counties near London as well as campaigning for more urban agriculture.

For more information contact:

Cheryl Cohen/Mark Handley London Farmers’ Markets [email protected] www.lfm.org.uk 020 7704 9659

Dan Keech London Food Link [email protected] www.londonfoodlink.org 020 7837 1228

Note – Varieties of apples grown in the South East of England and available at farmers’ markets:-

At Ealing farmers’ market (Malcolm Jonogored Stone) Greensleeve Red Pippin Pears- conference Cox Beaurre Hardy Bramley Gala At Ealing & Uxbridge farmers’ market Golden Delicious (Peter Hinde) Charles Ross Plums – Marjorie seedling Russett Damsons Ashmeads Kernel Pears – conference Blenheim Orange (cook/eat) Apples- Kidds Orange Rd Charles Ross Jupiter Lord Lambourne Chelmsford Wonder Bramley Peasgood Nonsuch (cooker) Lanes Prince Albert Reverend W. Wiks Cox Egremont Russet Lord Lambourne – Late September – Blenheim Orange 0ctober Laxton superb Greensleeves – late September – October Spartan Egremont Russet – October – December Golden Delicious Gala – October – January Fiesta Cox’s Orange Pippin – October – February Golden Smoothie – October – February At Whetstone (Chris Learmonth – Malling Kent – November – February organic) Spartan – October – February Discovery Jupiter – October – January Worcester Idared – November – April Spartan Red Pippin – late October – April Gala Crowngold – mid October – May Cox Crispin –December – March Egremont Russet Adam’s Pearmain – November – March Ida Red Melrose – November – April Crab apples Windsor – September – October Bramley’s Seedling – all year Chegworth Valley – organic conversion Howgate Wonder – October – March (At Islington, Notting Hill, Peckham, Grenadier – August – September Pimlico Rd, Blackheath, Twickenham, Swiss Cottage, Wimbledon) Pears Queen Cox Beth – August Flanders Cox Williams bon Cretin- August - September Russet Conference – October – March Spartan Doyenne du Comice – October – March Winston Concorde – October - March Red falstaff Discovery Below are varieties that make rare Bramley appearances at market Braeburn Worcester pearmain Court Pendu Platt (Oldest Roman variety) Saturn Fearns Pippin Ashmeads kernal Aldermans Pippin Red delicious Margil Katy Gascoigne Scarlet English golden delicious Histon Favourite Jonagored Sunset Initial Cats Head medlars Beelye Pippin Fameuse Perry Court farm (At Islington, Notting Charles Ross Hill, Wimbledon, Blackheath, Swiss Rosemary Russet Cottage) Curl Tait These are the varieties that come to Washington Strawberry market in quantity- Hewsons Golden Reinette Discovery – mid Aug- mid-September Belle de Boskoop Katy – September –mid October Blue Pearmain Worcester Pearmain – September – Beauty of Kent October Nutzu James Grieve – September – October Issac Newton King of Tomkins County Baxters Pearmain Nutmeg Pippin Houblon Crawley Beauty Ard Cairn Russet **Pitmaston Pineapple Beauty of Hants Merton Knave **Tydemans Late Orange ** will have for apple day **Allington Pippin Norfolk Royal New varieties King Pippin Falstaff King Acre Pippin Gloster 69 Kidds Orange Red Granny Smith **Pixie Red Alkmere Winston **Orleans Reinette Culinary Sturmer Pippin Arthur Turner **Suntan Edward V11 Lord Hindlip Epicure Saltcote Pippin Lord Derby American Mother Newston Wonder Coronation Rev. William Wilkes Jonathan Annie Elisabeth Thanet Beauty Brownless Russet Sops in Wine Joy Bells Bismark William Crump Bess Poole Gravenstein Pears **Autumn Pearmain Gyrham Upton Pine Fertility Non Pareil Josephine of Malines **Ribston Pippin Louis Bonne de Jersey Bournmans Reinette Merton Pride Red Alistaham Nouveau Posteau Meads Permain Onward **Cornish Gillyflower Packhams Triumph **Christmas Pearmain **Ross’s Rival Lord Burnley Kingcup Farm (Islington, Uxbridge, Bens Red Swiss Cottage, Twickenham,Whetstone, Wealthy Pimlico) **Ashmeads Kernal Plums – Victoria, damsons, Marjorie Kerry Pippin Seedlings and others Easter Orange Wagener Thrognall Farm (Palmers Green) Madnesfield Court Discovery (finished for season) Stark Prince Arthur Worcester (finished for season) Allens Everlasting Spartan Bercore Reinette Russets John Standish Gala **Blenheim Orange Jonagold Laxton Fortune Cox Crimson Queening Golden delicious Elstar Plums Bramley Edwards Charles ross Marjorie Seedlings Victoria Pears- Damsons Comice Williams (finished for season) ***ENDS***