Plum Day At Brogdale 2011
Re-discover the sweet and juicy British plum at the peak of its summer season at Brogdale's annual Plum Day which takes place on 14 August 2011 at Brogdale, home of The National Fruit Collections, Faversham.
There will be a wide variety of succulent and mouth-watering native varieties showcased, with guided tours of the 150-acre site and tasting sessions keeping visitors entertained throughout the day.
Keen gardeners, food lovers and families can also take time to explore the orchards and learn about some of the 350 ancient and modern varieties of dessert and culinary plums, plus damsons and bullaces, grown on site as well as find out about farming and cooking the fruit, and hear some fascinating historical stories.
Additionally, visitors can take fruit home with them to enjoy as a healthy snack or to cook with in a delicious homemade jam, pie or tart.
Some of the plums that can be seen in the collections include: Cherryplum, a small and juicy yellow or red plum mainly used for cooking or jam making; Mirrabelle, a hybrid of the bullace, but much sweeter and used on the continent to make a delicious liqueur; White Magnum Bonum, a wonderful plum used for preserving; Fotheringham, a high quality plum of English origin; Coes Golden Drop, a rich apricot-flavoured plum with a treacle sweetness; and French Perdrigon, a popular plum, also called French Prune, that is excellent for drying.
British plums have long been overlooked as their season is short. The UK has a rich diversity of tasty and tempting plum varieties, which will be at their best in mid August.
Plum Day is about encouraging people to grow, eat and cook native and heritage plums, helping to bring the British plum back into fashion. There will be lots of different shapes, sizes, colours and flavours of plums to see and a tour of the orchard collections will be a fun and fascinating way to find out more about this wonderful fruit.
Sally Roger, marketing manager at Brogdale
Visitors will also have the opportunity to buy a heritage plum tree to grow in their garden or allotment from Grow, the onsite nursery and garden centre.
Activities to keep youngsters entertained on the day include tractor trailer rides, a miniature railway that tours a small selection of the fruit and cobnut orchards and a new play area with swings and slides.
Other attractions include the Market Place, which offers stress-free shopping in a peaceful environment with fresh local produce such as apple juice, cider, meats, cheese, pies, pickles and jams as well as crafts. While the courtyard restaurant serves delicious cakes, cream teas and light meals.
Further information on visiting Brogdale, which is a site of national historical, horticultural and scientific importance, and its attractions can be found at:
www.brogdalecollections.co.uk
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01795 536250.