Here you will find information about Damson Days 2014.

This post is updated regularly, so please check again for updates.

You can read about:

the dates for Damson Days 2014
events at the launch event at the Ludlow Local Produce Market, including the chefs’ demos and the damson competition
the catering and food retail venues that are taking part

When and Where Damson Days 2014 is Taking Place

If you’re a damson afficionado, or even if you’re not, you’ll know that damsons are a true autumn fruit.

It’s apt, therefore, to celebrate these lovely blue-black bombs of flavoursome fruits in the autumn time.

So, in Ludlow, the unofficial capital of Shropshire, we’re holding a two-week celebration of the Shropshire Prune variety of damson.

Damson Days 2014 will take place between September 25th and October 9th, the midst of damson picking season.

The Shropshire Prune, as its name suggests, has a deep historical and socio-economic resonance with Shropshire. In fact, the Shropshire Prune goes back a long, long way — most likely as far back as when the Romans ruled. We’re pretty sure that the Romans brought the damson we know as the Shropshire Prune into (what we now call) the UK.

But don’t worry if you don’t know what variety of damson you’ve got in your garden because other damson varieties are more than welcome to the party too!

Here is a notice of the damson celebration.

Information About the Launch Event

The fortnight of damson celebration kicks off at the Ludlow Local Produce Market on Thursday, 25th of September. Come along to:

get recipe ideas for what to do with your damson glut
taste damsons, if you’ve never tasted them before
watch professional chefs cook with damsons
enter your damson product(s) in a damson competition
find out more about the variety of damson you have growing in your garden
taste a range of delicious sweet, savoury and tipsy damson products from local artisan producers
find out more about the history and cultural significance of the Shropshire Prune variety of damson
learn about why the Shropshire Prune damson is the only damson in the Slow Food Ark of Taste
taste a variety of both sweet and savoury damson dishes in eating venues in and around the Ludlow area

Sweet and Savoury Damson Demonstrations, Including Damson (Sour)Doughs

Two local chefs as well as a local artisan baker will be cooking or providing sensationally delicious damson dishes at the Damson Days launch event on Thursday, 25th of September.

These three damson gurus are:

Robert Swift, artisan baker, from Richard C. Swift Ltd and owner of Bread2Bake. Robert will be showcasing baked goods made with damsons.
Chef Andy Link, Head Chef at The Riverside Inn, Aymestery, Herefordshire. Andy will be making a savoury damson dish.
Chef Nathan Eades, owner of Epi Restaurant in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Nathan will be making a sweet damson dish.

Here is a little more information about each of these food pros to whet your appetite for damsons.

Artisan Baker Robert Swift

Robert Swift is a #realbread nut. A sixth-generation baker, Robert has a flair for incorporating local, seasonal ingredients into his breads and sweet dough products. As well as running Ludlow-based, masterclasses on bread making, Robert has written a book on bread, Born and Bread. His book comfortably straddles the “bread nerd”vs “stress-free baker” fence. It reveals the secrets of the gluten framework, and shows how to make a range of delicious sweet and savoury bread products in a down-to-earth way.

For Damson Days 2014 Robert is developing baked damson specialties including a sourdough based on fermented damsons.

Photo of the baker Robert Swift Standing beside his bread oven. — **Robert Swift, Real Bread Maker of Swift’s Bakery in Shropshire**.

Chef Andy Link

Chef Andy Link is not just Head Chef at the Riverside Inn at Aymestrey, he’s also a forager, a fruit grower and preserver, a vegetable grower and a bee keeper.

Andy won Herefordshire Young Chef of the Year 2007 and pays meticulous attention to sourcing local ingredients. For example, he uses damsons from the trees in the orchard of the Riverside Inn to make a range of damson and other fruit preserves.

Image of bottles of fruit liqueurs made by Chef Andy Link at the Aymestrey Inn, Herefordshire — **Local, Seasonal Fruit Liqueurs, from The Riverside Inn’s orchard. Photo courtesy The Riverside Inn’s Facebook page.**

Chef Nathan Eades

Previously a chef in Ludlow, Nathan Eades has opened his own restaurant, Epi, in Bromsgrove. Nathan Eades’ culinary passion can be summed up in four words: flavour, wild food, technique. Typically, Nathan will take seemingly banal, overlooked or forgotten ingredients like bronze fennel, chickweed, meadowsweet, nettles and, it has to be said, damsons, and use a touch of molecular gastronomy technique to coax out their distinctive and unique flavour. A couple of years ago Nathan, along with his colleague Chef David Jarram, made a dessert of sweet damson sushi and a raviolo of bittersweet chocolate ganache infused with Earl Grey tea.

Sweet Damson Sushi and a Raviolo of Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache with Earl Gray, Made by Chefs Nathan Eades and David Jarram — Sweet Damson Sushi and a Raviolo of Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache with Earl Grey. Made by Chefs Nathan Eades and David Jarram for the Ludlow Slow Food Taste Workshops.

Nathan is bringing his forager, Mike Wilkes, along for his sweet damson demo. Sweet damson treats await!

Eating Venues With Damson Dishes on the Menu and Retail Outlets Selling Damson Products During Damson Days 2014

Name of Venue	Contact Details	Damson Dish	Photo of Venue
The Cliffe at Dinham, Restaurant with Rooms	Dinham Ludlow Shropshire SY8 2JE Tel: 01584-872063 http://www.thecliffeatdinham.co.uk	Damson Ripple Fool with Hazelnut Shortbread Damson Ripple Fool With Hazelnut Shortbread	One of the Dining Areas in The Cliffe at Dinham, Restaurant With Rooms
The Green Cafe	Mill on the Green Linney Ludlow SY8 1EG Tel: 01584-879872 @greencafeludlow greencafeludlow@googlemail.com http://www.thegreencafe.co.uk/	Chef's Own Damson Vodka Home Made Scones with Damson Jam	The Green Cafe, Ludlow
The Ludlow Brewing Company	The Railway Shed Station Drive Ludlow SY8 2PQ Tel: 01584-873291 beer@theludlowbrewingcompany.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/ludlow.brewery http://www.theludlowbrewingcompany.co.uk/	The Ludlow Brewing Company Will Serve an Award-Winning Damson and Apple Drink Damson and Apple Drink, a Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Drink	The Ludlow Brewing Co, Ludlow
Ludlow Food Centre	Bromfield Ludlow SY8 2JR 01584-856000 customerservices@ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk @LudlowFoodCentr	Shropshire Prune Damson Yoghurt Made by Dudley and Paul with Damsons from the Ludlow Food Centre's Own Orchard.	The Entrance to the Ludlow Food Centre
Chang Thai Bar and Restaurant	3 Market Street Ludlow Tel: 01584-874212 @changthailud globeludlow@yahoo.com http://www.thailudlow.co.uk/	Damson Dessert The 'Coachway' Entrance to Chang Thai Restaurant, Ludlow	Some of the Dishes Served at Chang Thai, Ludlow
The Boot Inn	Kitchen Hill road, Orleton SY8 4HN Tel: 01568-780228 thebootinn@villagegreeninns.com www.thebootinnorleton.co.uk	Chef Martin Humphries, The Boot Inn, Orleton, Picking Shropshire Prune Damsons From the Boot's own Garden.	The Boot Inn Will Serve a Damson Trio: Damson and Apple Eton Mess, Iced Damson Parfait, Damson, White Chocolate and Roasted Macadamia Nut Crumble
The Olive Branch, Licensed Wholefood Restaurant and Coffee House	2/4 Old St. Ludlow SY8 1NP 01584-874314 www.theolivebranchludlow.co.uk	The Olive Branch will Serve Home Made Pork and Herb Terrine Platter with two Seasonal Salads, Local Bread, and The Olive Branch Homemade Damson Chutney Local Produce for Local People! Shropshire Prunes for Sale at the Market in Ludlow and Used in The Olive Branch Damson Chutney	The Olive Branch, Ludlow
Harp Lane Deli	4 Church St Ludlow SY8 1AP 01584-877353 www.harplane.com info@harplane.com @HarpLaneLudlow FB HarpLane	Damson Cheese and Other Damson Delights Prepared by Owners Hannah and Henry Hannah and Henry Mackley, Owners of Harp Lane Deli, Ludlow. Damson Fanatics Both.	Harp Lane Deli, Ludlow
Ludlow Pantry	10 High St. Ludlow SY8 1BS 01584-877775 james@ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk www.ludlowpantry.co.uk	Ludlow Pantry Will Serve Cream Teas with Damson Jam The Array of Local Food and Drink Available at the Ludlow Pantry	The Ludlow Pantry
Baker's of Tower Street	Tower St. Ludlow 01584-878720	Baker's of Tower Street Will Serve a Homemade Damson Dish Baker's of Tower Street, Ludlow. Photo Courtesy of Baker's of Tower Street Website.	The Entrance to Baker's of Tower Street, Ludlow.
Ludlow Kitchen	Bromfield Ludlow SY8 2JR 01584-856020 enquiries@ludlowkitchen.co.uk @ludlowkitchen	Ludlow Kitchen Will Serve Two Damson Dishes: Stewed Damsons With Granola and Damson Cream Teas Ludlow Kitchen's Damson Cream Tea: Shropshire Prune Damson Jam, Rodda's Clotted Cream, Home Made Scones and Your Choice of Tea	The Ludlow Kitchen
Old Downton Lodge	Downton on the Rock Ludlow SY8 2HU 01568-771826 bookings@olddowntonlodge.co.uk www.olddowntonlodge.com	Old Downton Lodge Will Serve a Damson Dessert of Peanut Parfait, Brioche, Downton Damson Sorbet and Downton Damson Gel Peanut Parfait, Brioche and Downton Damson Sorbet and Damson Gel. Photo courtesy of Head Chef Karl Martin.	The Dining Room at Old Downton Lodge, Near Ludlow