Damson day at Orleton village hall (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Damson day at Orleton village hall

8:00am Saturday 29th September 2012 in News By Adrian Kibbler

HEAVY rain and late frosts have done their best to dampen the spirits of the Ludlow Slow Food group.

But the group has decided to go ahead with what they hope will become an annual Damson Day event.

“We are all very disheartened with this year’s lack of fruit, it seems to have affected everyone I know who has fruit trees,” said Catherine Moran, of the group.

“Everyone’s scrambling for Shropshire prunes in what has been described as the worst crop in 35 years by local growers.’ “There has been growing interest in the Shropshire prune as a result of significant progress made by the group in getting its special status recognised through inclusion in the Slow Food UK’s Ark of Taste and also in introducing a logo which local food and drink producers use on their products to indicate when they have been made with this special plummy Shropshire prune damson.”

To celebrate the Shropshire prune damson, pictured, there will be a whole day of activities including children’s cookery with Tish Dockerty of Easy Peasy, Will Holland of La Becasse demonstrating the culinary potential of the fruit’s very plummy flavour and providing desserts to buy, followed by Sara- Jane Brough from Ludlow Jam Pan giving some top preserving tips.

Enthusiasts are being invited to try their luck in three different competitions.

The first is a damson jam, the second damson chutney and the third is ‘anything’ damson.

Entries can use any kind of damson and they can be brought along for judging on the day.

The event is free and takes place at Orleton Village Hall from 10am -3pm on Sunday October 7.

For details see http://www.slowfood.org.uk/slow-food-ludlow-marches-damson-day-2012/