Over 30 varieties of locally grown apples will be available at the Botanic Garden's 8th annual Apple Day this Sunday (24 October).

Apples arrived in Britain with the abbeys and East Anglia proved a natural nurturing ground. As long ago as the 12th century, orchards described as paradises 'filled with apple-bearing trees' were reported at the abbeys at Thorney and Ely in Cambridgeshire. This glorious tradition is alive and well today and over 30 varieties of locally-grown apples will be available to try and buy at the eighth annual Apple Day this Sunday, from 10am - 4pm.

Apple Day has inspired such a resurgence of public demand for tasty, home-grown apples that many producers are planning to grow more old-fashioned, unusual apple varieties.

Tim Elbourn of Elbourn Apples says:

"The Apple Day at the Cambridge Botanic Garden is one of the biggest and best in the country and the interest in our produce is phenomenal. That's why we are planting 1000 new trees this winter including the Pitmaston Pineapple, which really does taste of pineapple, and the delicious Peasgood Nonsuch."

Due to the huge crowds at last year's event, an extra marquee has been ordered to ease congestion and let everyone get a piece of the apple. On hand all day will be the expert identification team, hoping to re-discover a long-lost heritage variety amongst the apples brought in by visitors.

Local producers will be selling a huge range of apple edibles including fresh juices, ciders, jams, jellies and home-made cakes. The hot apple toddy is not to be missed, and organisers promise an enormous stock of toffee apples this year. Representatives of the East of England Apples & Orchards Project will be on hand to explain their work to ensure that the region's heritage orchard fruits survive for the future.

Special events include a lecture on the turbulent history of the apple, given by the Director of the Botanic Garden and apple aficionado, Professor John Parker, and in the afternoon, children are invited to come and make a flower, fruit, bug or bird to contribute to a huge orchard mural that will decorate the café throughout the winter months.

To avoid the ticket queues this year, visitors can buy Apple Day tickets in advance from the Cambridge Arts Box Office at 6 St Edward's Passage (telephone 01223 503333) to gain fast-track admission.

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