Juicy event for Armagh Bramley apple lovers
The first-ever Armagh Bramley Apple Festival takes place in September to capitalise on the EU Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status awarded to the historic fruit back in 2012. The event is centred on Armagh City on 6 September.
Organised as part of Armagh City and District Council's Armagh Bramley Development Programme, funded through the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (NIRDP) and administered through Southern Organisation for Action in Rural Areas (SOAR), the festival is set to showcase Armagh Bramley Apples in their rightful place at the heart of the county's historic tradition of culinary apple production and as an iconic Northern Irish food product that we should all take more pride in and celebrate for its unique characteristics.
Armagh Bramley Apples are now in the same European food league as Champagne, Parma Ham, Feta Cheese, Cornish Pasties and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies. Melton Mowbray is an excellent example of a small rural community that has been transformed by EU backing for the pies and is now a major tourism centre.
The apples, of course, are among three Northern Irish products with EU status, the others being Lough Neagh Eels and Comber Early Potatoes. Interestingly, these two products also now have community showcases.
The industry is fuelling the emergence of a vibrant cider sector, led by successful enterprises such as Armagh Cider Company, Tempted? from DJ's Ciders and Juices,
Mac Ivors Cider and Toby's Cider, that are becoming increasingly successful in markets beyond these shores.
Local cider is now to be found in markets as diverse as Scandinavia, other parts of Europe as well, of course, as Great Britain and the Republic. Several have also won major awards in events such as UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann, the Republic's main food and drink event.
Celebration is what the Armagh Bramley Apple Festival is all about! At this free-to-attend event visitors can discover more about what makes Armagh bramley apples so special direct from the growers who produce them; learn about their history in the area, which can be traced back to the days of Saint Patrick when he is credited with planting an apple tree at the ancient settlement of Ceangoba, east of the City; watch local chefs create mouth-watering dishes from the new Armagh Bramley Cookbook, which will be launched at the festival; check out the exciting and refreshing hand-crafted Armagh bramley apple juices and ciders that are being produced right here on your doorstep; and see what else they can be used for from other local artisan food companies.
But that's not all, while Armagh bramley apples are at the 'core' of the festival, there will be plenty of fun and entertainment for the kids, while the adults can stock up their fridges and pantries from a select line-up of local artisan food producers.
No other bramley apple is quite the same one from the Diocese of Armagh, due to the distinctive climate and environmental conditions of the region in which they are grown and the way they are nurtured.
The orchards of County Armagh produce more than 40,000 tonnes of bramley apples annually. An increasing quantity of the crop goes for cider production but the market for cooking apples remains an important outlet for the 140 growers who produce the bulk of the local crop.
The bramley orchards stretch from Armagh city to Portadown with the greatest concentration on the gentle slopes around Loughgall. Weather is crucial in apple production and the orchard county is particularly suited because it gets fewer late frosts than most other areas. Unique taste. The frost factor is crucial but the damp, mild climate of Armagh is also particularly suited to the production of cooking apples.
Armagh bramley apples are a bit bigger than most, have a flatter top and bottom, are solid green in colour with a reddish blush, are more robust for a longer shelf-life, and, perhaps most importantly as a culinary apple, they have a delectable tangy flavour and maintain that taste and their texture when cooked.
PIC: Armagh Bramley Apple grower, Dermot Morgan (left) and his daughter Cara get ready to celebrate the county's iconic symbol with Kevin McCann of McCann Apples.