On Sunday, I went to ‘Apple Day’ at Shenley Park. This is the site of a stately home, turned mental hospital, now private accommodation and public parkland. What a fabulous place it is.
When I got there, it was sunny and the leaves on the trees looked like the finest painting of an autumnal landscape that you could imagine.
Apple day is all about celebrating the many vintage varieties of apples that grow in the Orchard within the park. There was a huge central area set out with lots of boxes, one for each variety. There must have been at least 30. I tried at least half of them and decided that my favourite was the Claigate Permaine. My wife liked Mrs Philmore best, so we bought a bag of each. I wish we’d bought more now.
The flavour and texture of these apples is unlike anything I’ve ever bought in a shop. They are super crisp, the favour is incredibly intense, and just leaves you wanted more. My tastebuds are getting a real workout! I think that when I eat the next one, I may have to try planting the seeds (although I don’t think I can wait that long for some more). If nmore people could eat these apples (which are lumpy, bumpy, with skin blemishes but taste divine), they’d never look at a Granny Smith or Golden Delicious again. The apple trees are producing bumper crops this year – let’s see more locally produced apples in our fruit & veg shops (and supermarkets!)
