An Apple a Day: Celebrating Apple Day in the Valley

There’s a proper 'bite' hehe in the air down in this valley this morning. The trees along the river are turning that deep, rich copper and they're looking gawjuss! The mist is clinging to the hills, and you can tell without looking at a calendar that autumn has well and truly settled in.

Today, Wednesday 21st October, happens to be Apple Day. It’s an old tradition started back in the 1990s to celebrate Britain’s orchards, our heritage varieties, and the simple joy of the autumn harvest. And around these parts, you don’t have to look far to see why it’s worth celebrating. Yorkshire gardens and orchards have been growing proper cooking and eating apples for centuries the sort that fill the kitchen with the sweetest, warmest smell the minute they hit a hot oven.

For us, Apple Day is the best excuse there is to lean into proper, comforting autumn food.

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of warm, homemade apple crumble to finish off a meal when it’s chilly outside. Sweet, tart apples stewed down until they’re soft, blanketed in thick, buttery crumble, and drowned in proper hot custard. Not forgetting that pinch of cinnamon of course. It’s the sort of pudding that sorts you right out after a long walk down the old bridleways or along the riverbank.

And it’s not just puddings, either. In the kitchen, we love working with the season. There’s something special about pairing local cheeses or cold roast meats with a spoonful of rich, spiced apple chutney that’s been gently bubbling away, letting the ginger, cloves, and tart vinegar do their work.

Or, if you’re just calling in to wet your whistle after work, you can’t go wrong with a crisp, refreshing pint of our Caple Road cider supplied by Clays. Whether you like it dry and cloudy or clean and sparkling, it’s about as honest an autumn drink as you’ll find pulled at the pumps.

So if the wind’s blowing a bit keen today, call in, shake off the cold, and pull up a chair. We’ve got the fires lit, the bar stocked, and plenty of autumnal comfort waiting for you.

Happy Apple Day, make an excuse to celebrate, we do! Cheers, here’s to crisp mornings, good food, and making the most of the season xx