Are you interested in local food? Do you take pleasure in the countryside and value our local heritage & environment? Do you enjoy cider, perry and other orchard products? ....... and how about producing them yourself?

Whether it’s a practical cider making, orchard management or conservation workshop, a nature walk, an opportunity to sample the finest regional produce, or taking part in a cookery class using local foods, The Orchard Centre is your gateway to discovery and creation.

Taste & Explore can offer you a range of activities – from evening talks & tastings, courses, weekend experience breaks, themed events, trips and longer tours .........


Courses, Talks and Tastings

Taste & Explore provides a range of short courses, workshops and talks designed to increase your appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of local food & drink and our wonderful countryside, heritage & environment ..... plus learn how to make and create things yourself!

Examples include:

• Taste ......Tutored tastings and evening talks to help you appreciate and enjoy the subtleties of food and drink.
• Explore ...... How to use good quality local food & drink to their best advantage through cooking classes and pairing of drinks with food.
• Create ...... Short courses in making apple juice or country wines, cider & perry production, cheese making, growing and managing apple trees.

Want to find out more and join us?
Many of the courses are run in conjunction with the Cider Academy

.... so click here Cider Academy

.... or check our Calendar of Events.

The Western Counties of England and the Welsh Borders provide the beautiful environment for these adventures in taste - in which a range of activities will help you discover and learn more about locally produced quality food and drink. You will be able to:

• Visit and meet the producers
• Watch the production of food & drink, learn about how it is made and have a go yourself
• Sample local speciality, artisan and rare food & drink - with expert and friendly guidance to assist you to fully appreciate, understand and enjoy the products being tasted
• Enjoy themed dinners at local restaurants using locally sourced produce
• Explore the countryside, visit orchards, go for a hike in the hills with a delicious picnic made from locally produced food and drink
• Find out more about the customs, the heritage & history of the countryside and the changing seasons - join in Wassail, pick or press apples, assess the grape in a vineyard
• Meet interesting people and enjoy good company

So why not join us in one of the following planned activities:

Bespoke tour and master-classes

........... or contact us here for further information or discuss the organisation of a tailor-made trip or tour.

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Activity Weekends and Breaks

Join Taste & Explore for fun, interesting and away-from-it-all days! Activity weekends and breaks may include some or all of the following:

• Guided visits to local producers of speciality, artisan and rare food & drink
• Watch the production of food and drink, find out about how to make it and have a go yourself
• Participate in a practical course to learn how to make cider ...perry ...country-wine ...juice ...cheese ...
• Undertake tutored tastings
• Improve your cooking skills and learn how to pair good food with good drink
• Go on a guided orchard walk
• Join in a local event e.g. a Wassail
• Enjoy a themed dinner at local restaurants using locally sourced produce
• Go for a hike by the riverside with a delicious picnic made from locally sourced food and drink
• Take part in a competition or join in a quiz.

....... so, click through to our Calendar of Events to find out what is available Calendar of Events
....... or contact us here for further information or to discuss the organisation of a tailor-made Activity Weekend or Break.

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Events

The Open Days at The Orchard Centre at Hartpury in May were very successful and another Open Day is being planned for Spring 2010.

Throughout the year, Taste & Explore is involved in a number of events in the Western Counties of England and the Welsh Borders. These currently include the following:

• Three Counties Cider Show and the Cider Tasting Theatre. Click here to find out about a very successful programme of events run over the three days of the Show during June 2009 and also here to see the results of the People’s Choice & International Cider & Perry Competition in 2009. ............... so, why not join us again in 2010: Three Counties Show, June 18th-20th 2010.
• Malvern Autumn Show. We held very successful tastings at the Malvern Autumn Show, 26th-27th September 2009. The results of the People’s Choice Perry Competition at the Show was as follows:
  
  • 1st - Olivers Cider & Perry (Bottle Conditioned Perry)
  • 2nd - Brook Farm (Brook Farm Medium Perry)
  • 3rd - Westons (Herefordshire Perry)
  Click here to find out more about the Autumn Show.
• The Royal Bath & West Show. We were again in the Orchard & Cider marquee at the 2009 Bath & West Show. Click here to see something of this year's Show.
We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Or check-out the Calendar of Events to find out about what else is coming up.


..... and we can take you further ........ by also arranging the following:

• Bespoke tutored tastings for groups such as wine circles
• Activity events associated with food and drink, for example Wassails, cooking with cider or perry, competitions
• Themed dinners in conjunction with a good quality restaurant serving local produce - this may include a talk or demonstration
• Special occasion events for anniversaries or for corporate entertainment

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Contact us here to discuss your requirements

or telephone: 01386 552324