Plum festival to be best one yet, say organisers

Prunella the Pershore Purple Plum sat on one of the many bikes at Pershore’s Bike Nite

Organisers of an annual festival said this year's event promises to be the best one yet.

Worcestershire's Pershore Plum Festival takes place throughout August, although festivities begin on Thursday with a special “Bike Nite”.

This year's festival includes a showcase of fruits, cookery and gardening demonstrations as well as classic cars, live music and a fairground, organisers said.

There will be cookery demonstrations by Herefordshire Great British Bake Off contestant Saku Chandrasekera as well as MasterChef The Professionals champions Mark and Sue Stinchcombe.

Earlier events include Friday's Big Plum Quiz Night Saturday's plum cider festival.

The festival began when a fruit, which became known as the the Pershore Yellow Egg Plum was found growing wild in Tiddesley Wood by a publican, George Crooke, in 1827, organisers said.

By 1870, records indicate more than 900 tonnes of the fruit were being sent to market each harvest time.

A Pershore Flower Show poster in 1920 described the spectacle as “the largest plum show on earth”.

The Plum Fayre was resurrected in 1996 by environmentalist David Shaw and historian Marion Freeman, to help raise the awareness and profile of the market town.

“We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to the beautiful town of Pershore for this exceptional event,” said Angela Taylor, chair of the Pershore Plum Festival.

“There is something for all to enjoy.”

She promised the 2024 spectacle was going to be the best event to date.

Organisers say the event attracts thousands of people to the Worcestershire market town

A full programme of events can be found online.