Apple Day 2023
Sunday 15th October
Thank you to everyone who made Apple Day 2023 such a success.
From the volunteers who helped get the orchard ready and help set up on a cold and frosty morning. To those juicing apples, serving drinks and cake, chutneys and apples. Thanks to everyone who donated cakes; we were sold out but 2.22pm - unprecedented.
Thanks to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for running a successful bee activity, the feedback has been great. Thanks to Wrapture for keeping us all fed, and loan of equipment, as well as Friends of Northcliffe, and others (you know who you are!).
Here are some photos from the day.
Some numbers:
30 bottles of pasteurised apple juice were sold, plus a couple of 3 litre pouches (and we would have sold more if we they were available). As well as 110kg of local organic apples finding their way to people's fruit bowls and ovens, about 80 jars of chutneys, jams and 30 portions of dried fruit/leathers, are filling people's cupboards.
Roughly 300 portions of cakes were sold (I don't think many of these made it beyond the orchard threshold).
On top of this Brian's honey and apple based falafels were purchased.
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Our plans for Apple Day this year include the normal range of juicing, cakes, chutneys, activities, advice about your fruit trees, harvesting and a time to meet with friends and hang out in the autumn sunshine. And apples to buy.
Welcome back to Wrapture, who will be with us providing their popular "falapples"
We hope that Anne from the Northern Fruit Group will be with us to help you identify.
Please keep an eye on this page to find out if we will have any trees for sales, and which of our friends will join us to run activities.
Travel info, and links, are here
More about the orchard, and directions can be found here
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Can you help us make Apple Day a success?
We need volunteers on the day to help with juicing, cake and apple sales, as well as setting up/packing up the marquee and preparing the activities.
Please email [email protected] if you can help us.
There are also other ways you can help.
Can you make a cake for Apple Day?
The cake stall is always a popular part of Apple Day, but we rely on volunteer contributions to get the range and the number of cakes needed to satisfy our eager crowd.
If you would like to bake for us please email and we will send a brief outline. Basically we are looking for cakes, biscuits etc using apples, pears, plums or English soft fruit...
We look forward to hearing your ideas.
Chutney - have you got any spare jars?
In order to make the most of the apple harvest, be it using windfalls or just preserving fruit that won't store, we make a lot of chutney. However, we are short of jars (we prefer to recycle rather than buy new) and would welcome any donations. Ideally we would prefer that they arrive to us with lids but without the labels - these need to be removed before we sterilise them and sometimes they are just too hard to get off.
And while we are talking about chutney, if you want to get involved with making some please talk to us. Or if you have a favourite recipe you'd like to recommend to us please get in touch. We'd welcome new inspiration.
Do you know of spare apples for juicing?
The fresh apple juice we produce at Apple Day is another firm favourite. To make enough this year we will need to find contributions from outside the orchard. Do you have a glut of apples at home? Have you seen a tree in your neighbourhood that doesn't get picked? Get in touch with any thoughts and we will discuss collection.
Volunteering on the Day
We need volunteers on the day to help with setting up, helping to run activities and stalls and with packing away at the end. You can volunteer for a part of the day if you like.
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We do not have card facilities at the orchard.
We know that everyone has become used to cashless transactions over the last year or so...but ....
please bring CASH for your cakes, apples, chutney, juice etc. (and of course your donations too!!)
Thank you.
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Apple Day 2022 was held on Sunday 16th October.
As well as celebrating a bumper harvest, we enjoyed a lovely autumn day with the normal range of juicing, cakes, chutneys, activities. People received help with their queries about fruit growing, and the best varieties of fruit for their garden, as well as help with identification from Anne of the Northern Fruit Group There were plenty of apples to buy.
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Apple Day 2020 - something different!
We are celebrating Bradford Apple Day’s 20th Anniversary this year so hoped to have an extra special extravagant event, but…..
(There is always next year for a coming of age party).
However, we can still offer visits to the orchard for small household/bubble groups and individuals. We are still to finalise exactly how this will look, but it will be an opportunity to visit the orchard, purchase locally grown produce (both fresh and preserved) and talk to volunteers about the orchard. There will be a charge for visits which will include receiving a small hamper with a few apples and chutney or jam, and maybe some cake. We are afraid that we will not be able to offer hot drinks this year, but please feel free to bring a flask if you fancy a drink while you are with us.
Sorry not to be specific with a cost yet; essentially it will be in exchange for produce, but we do not want to handle change for individual items purchased. Our main motivation for inviting people to the orchard is to give you the chance for a visit to the orchard, and a chance to buy local produce, with any income generated going towards the costs of orchard maintenance and the rent - so this is also an opportunity for you to support the orchard to ensure it is in good condition next year and into the future.
Our crop was severely affected by frost this year so there are not many apples available and this will be your only chance to purchase any. We have made a variety of jams and chutneys with fruit that we have already harvested. A list of these will be ready soon. We won't be doing any market stalls this autumn.
[We anticipate we will ask for £10 per adult, but of course we will discuss reduction for groups and families].
We are anticipating this will be a very personalised service so we will discuss details with people who book a slot.
If you would like to come along please ring 07970 621732 to discuss what is on offer.
You will need to complete the booking form before attending. You will need to email it to [email protected].
Choose from the following dates, selecting one slot, either 12.00 – 1.30, or 1.30 – 3pm.
Sunday 11th October
Thursday 15th October
Tuesday 20th October
If these dates get booked up we will try and add extra dates or extend the sessions. If you are keen to come along but cannot make these dates then drop us a line and we will explore if an alternative is possible.
Your booking will only be confirmed once you have heard back from us.
If the number of positive cases continues to rise or we feel it is not sensible to run these sessions, we will cancel, even if this is at short notice. We will discuss this with anyone who has booked to visit.
Thanks for your interest and your ongoing support.
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The most essential requirement is to recruit enough volunteers (we didn't fill all the roles this year which leaves an unsustainable load on some people), so please to get in touch if you can help out. Many thanks.
Entrance to allotments and orchard is on Bowling Park Drive, large gates opposite the factory entrance. You cannot access the orchard from the park.
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Apple Day 2017 was held at Bowling Park Community Orchard on Sunday 15th October; 12 noon until 4pm
Another successful event which attracted over 500 people to take part in the range of activities that represent all elements of the orchard.
Food is always an important factor and the cake stall was busy throughout, selling donated cakes to raise funds to cover the cost of the hire of the marquee and toilet. Wrapture were selling their Falapples, freshly cooked in our improved kitchen shelter.
The fruit press is always a popular activity for people to participate in, and the resulting juice is impressive. A range of chutneys, jams, sauerkraut, honey, vinegar and dried fruit were sold, as were a good selection of the apples from the trees.
Martin was kept busy answering horticultural queries, and Anne continued to identify people’s unnamed apples.
Yorkshire wildlife Trust and Groundwork complemented the art activities which we ran, engaging people with the fruit growing and wildlife in the orchard.
See you again next year? Let’s hope the weather is as glorious then.
This year we benefited from the Operation Orchard Grant for Postcode Local Trust to support coordination and publicity of the event.
There are a few photos here
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We had an enjoyable wassail in January 2017. We have written a short report here.
We did it again in January 2018...
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Bradford Council (Commissioning Service; YMCA), 
Ideas for preparing your Appley picnics: and check out the recipe page
Apple Day 2013 Menu consisted of
Savoury Options
Autumn Vegetable Tagine
Tart & Tangy Pinto Bean Stew, both served with bread.
Blue Cheese & Apple Tart
Cheese & Apple Tart
A savoury vegan pie
Ploughmans or peanut butter sandwiches
The sweet selection
Apple Gingerbread
Apple Crumble Slice
Plum Crumble slice
Apple & lemon curd tarts
Rhubarb & Apple flapjack
Apple & Ginger cake
Chocolate & Apple cake
Plum & Almond cake
Apple, sultana & cider slices
Apple & marmalade cake
Pear upside down cake
Apple day is a celebration of the diversity of our fruit heritage.
Only a handful of apple varieties are available in the shops, yet over 6000 varieties have been grown in the past. Nearly 2000 apples are grown at the national collection at the Brogdale Horticultural Trust in Kent.
Common Ground, a national charity that encourages people to recognise the distinctivenes of 'the place', instigated Apple Day in 1990. It is now an established date in the festive calendar and is celebrated annually on or near 21st October. The apple was chosen as an iconic symbol for all the fruit and nuts that are grown in this country.
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