Where to take your apples
Hill Holme Juice, Great Totham, Essex
Winner of Best Essex Drink Product 2012, Hill Holme can blend your pressed apple juice with other fruits and cordials, including raspberry, blackberry and elderflower.
(01621 891304; www.hillholmejuice.co.uk)
The Little Cider Press Company, Ledbury, Herefordshire
Offers a small-volume pressing service (minimum 50kg of fruit). The apple pomace is also delivered to you along with your bottles-it’s ideal for composting. Groups can book a ‘pick and press day’, with lunch and a tasting included.
(01531 670713; www.littleciderpress.co.uk
Apple Cottage Cider, Baldock, Hertfordshire
You’ll need to provide enough apples to produce 100 bottles of juice. If you’d like to get more involved in the process, the press and mill here are available to hire.
(01462 893033; www.applecottagecider.co.uk)
Haywood Park Farm, Shugborough, Staffordshire
This historic farm stands in the Cannock Chase AONB. Apple-pressing demonstrations are held throughout the season.
(01899 882736; www.haywoodparkfarm. co.uk)
Chiltern Ridge, Chartridge, Buckinghamshire
Open seven days a week between August and late November. Your bottles will arrive decorated with personalised labels at no extra cost.
(01494 776309; www.chilternridge.com)
West Lake Farm, Chilla, Devon
Offers a custom-pressing service, so you can choose to have your juice pasteurised to give it a longer shelf life. The farm also runs courses on juice- and cider-making.
(01409 221991; www.west-lake.co.uk)
Clive’s Fruit Farm, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire
If you decide to get your apples pressed here, the finished product will be returned to you with added vitamin C, and either in bottles or in your own containers ready for cider-making.
(01684 592664; www.clivesfruitfarm.co.uk)
Middle Farm, Lewes, East Sussex
After you’ve dropped your apples off, make sure you have a look at the National Collection of Cider and Perry-Middle Farm is home to it, and everything is available to try and buy.
(01323 811411; www.middlefarm.com)
Kimpton Manor Apple Press, Kimpton, Hampshire
The team at Kimpton Manor will press any fruit without a stone, and the bottle labels can be customised with your choice of painting or photograph.
(01264 771507; www.kimptonapplepress.co.uk)
Mole Farm Apple Press, Burghclere, Berkshire
Mole Farm can collect your apples if required, and it will source extra fruit for you if you’d like to boost the size or taste of your crop.
(07769 665 750; www.applepress.moonfruit.com)
