Join the festivities as the UK’s longest-running apple festival celebrates its 30thanniversary this autumn

Celebrate all things apple at RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon this autumn, as the annual Apple Festival returns for its 30th anniversary.

With over 50 varieties of rare, local heritage apples on display, live music, cookery demonstrations, locally-produced food and drink, book signings, and even a wassail from local Morris Dancers, the UK’s longest running apple festival is guaranteed to bring some sweetness to an early autumn weekend (Sat 2 & Sun 3 October 2021).

Stand-out elements include an apple mosaic made entirely of fruit from the garden, offering the perfect Instagram moment, while apple-experts Jim Arbury, Dr Anna Baldwin and Liz Copas will no doubt steal the show with his ability to identify any variety of apple with just one bite.

This year will also see the first crop on many of the trees in the Devon Orchard, following the planting of forty-five cultivars in 2017 as part of an RHS campaign to reverse the rapid disappearance of our nation’s orchards. Edibles Team Leader at RHS Rosemoor, Peter Adams, said, ‘We’ve been waiting with anticipation to see what varieties such as ‘Hollow Core’, ‘Twenty Pip’ and ‘Pig’s Nose’ actually look, and more importantly, taste like! We’re eager to see if they live up to expectations.’

Compared to many other areas of the UK, 2021 has been a good year for apples at RHS Rosemoor. Experts suggest that the cool and overcast spring enabled the blossom to flower for longer, in turn enabling pollinators to move around more than usual. What’s more, while many areas experienced significant drops in temperature and damaging frosts during the blossom period, the slightly milder climes in the south meant Rosemoor’s blossom was comparatively unscathed.

The harvest will be put to good use, with a special apple-themed menu available in the café and restaurant throughout October, featuring seasonal items such as Rosemoor’s signature Garden Apple and Almond Cake. Rosemoor’s very own apple juice is also available to buy in the onsite shop along with a range of apple and soft fruit trees, plus other wonderful apple-themed products.

For further information, visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor