On Tuesday 19th September, our Zero Waste Cafe team hosted an Apple Pressing Day in collaboration with Arran Pioneer Project. The event took place during the Arran Festival of Food & Drink, a festival to promote the island’s incredible local produce. This year’s festival theme was ‘Making Memories.’ So let’s look back and remember some of the highlights of the event!
The Apple Pressing
The best part of the day, of course, was the apple pressing itself. The juice was both fresh and local, with participants bringing their apples from around the island to press!
We took turns chopping, churning and pressing. And with a satisfying crank (and the help of Simon from Arran Pioneer Project), the juice started to flow.
We used Simon’s Vigo Presses to work through any excess apples. And people brought their containers along to take apple juice away with them.
Different types of apples were used, some producing deliciously sweet apple juice and others being a little more bitter. But the overall verdict was that they were all delicious!
The Zero Waste Cafe
As well as filling up empty containers with apple juice, there was a chance for people to pick up dried goods from our pop-up shop with zero waste dispensers. Everything from dried pasta to jumbo oats and bread flour used by Blackwater Bakehouse were on offer.
Throughout the day, people could also help themselves to a selection of baked goods. This included Apple Doughnut and Apple & Cinnamon Cake. And even some of the savoury delights had apples in them (including Donna’s delicious Maple Roasted Carrot, Ginger & Apple Soup).
If one day of pressing and eating apples wasn’t enough, there was a chance to pick up some of our apple-themed recipe cards.
Environmental Impact
By encouraging locals to bring their apples and get involved in the pressing, we worked to make sure the event had minimal environmental impact! As always, our aim to increase sustainability on the island was carried through every aspect of the day, from our Zero Waste Cafe to the use of local apples. The pulp from the apples was collected to cook with and any leftovers were composted in our local community gardens on the island.
Join us at a Zero Waste Cafe!
Haven’t had a chance to join us at one of our Zero Waste Cafes yet? Come along and say hello!
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