Mottisfont Apple Festival 2016

Apples for the festival

 So, this is the first time I have actually attended what you would call a countryside traditional apple festival, with fresh apple pressing, live cooking class/show, hog roasts in the open air, and lots of baked and otherwise apple goodies to relish oneself in. But first, let me recount to you a little about my village I currently reside in, Mottisfont and Dunbridge. I moved here, a lovely little village between Romsey and Salisbury, about 4 months ago after my trip to America. Initially I was unsure how it would pan out, since I needed to attend Uni every day, 5 days a week, all the way from Dunbridge. It took about 30 mins of train ride, followed by 25 minutes of bus trip from door to door both ways. But as it turns out, it is not that bad afterall, yes it is a bit far for daily commute but it has its own perks too. For one, the village is quite lovely and cozy, lying at the vicinity of the Romsey town. The beautiful village harbours within it the beautiful Mottisfont national trust, that comprises of some panoramic scenery of feilds, orchards, woodlands as well as gardens worth a million picture.

Lovely National trust

Apples from the orchard

Spectacular Test Valley

Some of the downsides of living in a small village on the countryside is that local amenities are a little out of the way to get to easily. But since it falls on my way I don't have much to complain. Just that I won't be able to get that nice tub of ice cream pronto whenever I need one :p At the same time, the area is calm and serene with natures bounty galore. I have been able to enjoy a saunter through the woods whenever I wanted, walked through spectacular wheat and barley fields, forage the many bushes of blackberries lining the cycle and foot pathways, bask in the sun alongside sheep and cows in the middle of the meadows, trace along the beautiful valley of River Test, enjoy the clean freshness of the quaint country, visit the historic Mottisfont Abbey and their famous rose garden, and stroll into the apple orchard during the peak season. Also, as with every little village, the Mottisfont village hosts many a little festivals, of which the apple festival was one. 

Anyway, here's a little sneak-peak from the small yet joyous apple festival I had the pleasure of attending today:

Everybody enjoys a little cookery show...

The art of pressing apples for fresh juice:

First, have loads of apples in hand...

Red, green, brown, yellow... Apples of all kinds ready to be pressed...

Chop the apples (no need for coring)

Chop chop chop...

Next, crush them in a crusher...

Crushing em bit by bit...

Then use the presser to press the juice out of the apples before indulging in the freshly pressed cloudy sweet-tangy apple juice... Cheers!

Hand pressed...

 The leftover can be used as animal fodder or even made into preserves... win win!

 

Also, like every festival and fete, there has to be hog roasts or it ain't complete :)

Necessary greens

Yummy sides

A whole pig is generally enough to feed 100s...

Roasted hog

Credit is a must for this gentleman who cooked the hog for about 4-5 hours to make the fine feast possible.

Smiley faces...

 There were also some amazing goodies to take home such as jams, jellies, chutneys and cakes...

Shabby apples

Delicious preserves...

So much to choose from...

 And highlight of the festival: the delicate construction of a beautiful apple tart at the cookery show in front of a live audience.

The amazing chef showing off his skill...

masterpiece in the making...

 So there, in my honest opinion, of course I miss living closer to university, closer to my friends, closer to local amenities, but the little perks of living in a quaint village definitely outweighs that by a really LONG margin :)

 Hope you enjoyed to know a little about my current abode... See you next time with more posts on world travelling and life experiences...