Bowling Park Community Orchard has returned to Bradford’s Darley Street Market, giving visitors the chance to buy locally grown and made produce as this year’s harvest gets under way.
Organised by Bradford Apple Group and Bowling Park Community Orchard, the stall took place on the Fresh Food floor of the city centre market on Saturday 26th September from 10am–5pm. Shoppers could purchase organic produce from the orchard, which sits next to Bowling Park, including fresh apples, apple juice, chutneys, and jams.
The group also offered free advice to budding allotmenteers and anyone interested in growing fruit trees and bushes.
Julia Pearson, from Bowling Park, said: “We are really pleased to return to Darley Street, having had a successful stall in February. This year’s harvest has already started, so we hope to have a really good selection of fresh apples.”
“We will also have a range of preserved produce for the store cupboard, including chutneys and jams. The item I get stopped in the street about most frequently is the brown sauce, made with plums. There’s always a limited supply, but we’ve prepared a special edition which will be hitting the shelves for this stall.”
Councillor Ian Walker, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Bowling Park back to Darley Street following its successful visit earlier this year.”
“Pop-up stalls like this add even more variety to the fantastic fresh produce available at the market, while giving local community groups an opportunity to showcase what they do.”
“I hope lots of people will come along, pick up some locally grown and made produce and find out more about the orchard.”
The orchard was established in 2003 on former allotment plots next to Bowling Park, after Bradford Environmental Education Service, part of Bradford YMCA, was asked to help revitalise a struggling site. Volunteers cleared the land and planted fruit trees, creating a mature organic orchard that now spans nine plots and has around 50 trees. These include a wide range of dessert and cooking apples, pears, plums, and soft fruit.
It produces significant quantities of fruit each year, with harvests typically running from July into the following spring. Produce is sold fresh or preserved as juice, jams, chutneys, and sauces. Volunteers from Bradford Apple Group and the Friends of Bowling Park manage the site, which also serves as an educational space for schools, community groups, and anyone keen to learn about fruit growing and biodiversity.
Visitors to the stall could also find out more about Apple Day, an afternoon of activities at the orchard celebrating local fruit and community involvement. It has become a popular annual fixture, with previous events drawing between 300 and 500 people and supporting the orchard’s work.
The 2026 event takes place on Sunday 11th October from midday to 4pm at the orchard within Bowling Park Allotments on Bowling Park Drive. Planned attractions include stalls, a cafe, organic chutney, sauce, and jam sales, homemade cakes and treats, children’s arts and crafts activities, seed sales, traditional apple pressing, and live music.
Darley Street Market opened in July 2025 as a modern three-storey replacement for Bradford’s previous city centre markets. It features a dedicated Fresh Food floor with butchers, greengrocers, and other traders, alongside lifestyle stalls and a top-floor food hall known as Darley Street Kitchen. The market has quickly established itself as a key part of the city’s regeneration and was named the UK’s best food market by the National Association of British Markets earlier in 2026.
For more information about Bradford Markets and upcoming events, visit www.bradfordmarkets.com.