So Somerset

A dozen small cider apple growers formed a cooperative called Somerset Orchards after Gaymer’s stopped buying their apples.

The cider-maker needed bigger suppliers after expanding its production.

Somerset Orchards decided to make cider apple juice to sell as a high quality product.

The first bottles will be on the market next month.

Too small

It could have been bad news for people with small cider orchards when they lost their main customer Gaymers.

Rosie Inge, Somerset Orchards

The Somerset cider-maker had invested millions expanding its production and needed to find a smaller number of big apple suppliers.

“We weren’t able to accommodate as many suppliers with three times the amount of apples coming through,” said Simon Russell from the company. “In some instances we did have to end the relationship.”

Not bitter

Without a market for the apples the future for some small orchards looked difficult.

“It wouldn’t do any good for the ground,” explained Rosie Inge from Somerset Orchards. “If you don’t pick the apples up for several years then the ground goes quite acidic and then you can’t really grow anything.”

Last year we pressed six different single varietals to see what the juice would taste like,” said Rosie Inge. “We decided there were two that were absolutely superb, Browns and Kingston Black.”

Preserving the landscape

The cooperative was supported by Somerset County Council who offered advice about marketing the apple juice.

The county council also offers small grants to help replant old orchards. It does involve spending public money but the county landscape officer Phil Stone said its worth it.

“Somerset is very much associated with apples in its history,” he said. “And its part of our landscape, this dotted landscape of orchards that changes through the seasons - blossom in the spring, the red apples in the autumn - and it’d be very sad if we lost that.”