Pick Your Own at West Bradley

Neil, Arthur & Fergus Macdonald - Juicemasters!

West Bradley Orchards is opening on each weekend in September for Pick Your Own.


West Bradley Orchards is one of the few orchards left in Somerset producing dessert fruit. The public is welcome to come on any of the weekends in September to pick apples and pears before the full harvest starts. All apples and pears are £1.10 per kilo.


There are fifteen varieties of apple to pick at West Bradley.  These include Cox, Bramley, Kidd’s Orange, Charles Ross, Jonagold, Russet, as well as four different varieties of pears.  Some of the first apples to mature are the delicious Worcester Pearmains with their strawberry-like flavours. They are highly sought after and will be ready in time for the first weekend in September.


APPLE SCRUMPING DAY


This year brings a brand new event - Apple Scrumping Day - on Sunday 12 September. 

Neil Macdonald of Orchard Ground Force, which manages the orchards, said “For the first time we are going to be making juice for people from the fruit they pick.  It’s a great way to store the goodness of freshly picked apples and pears, and you can see exactly what goes into the bottle.”


“It takes one kilo of apples to make one bottle of juice - and when you consider that two Bramleys can weigh a kilo it won’t take long to pick the fruit!”


“You can choose the apples that go into your juice - either a single variety or a blend of different varieties.  For a small charge we will juice the fruit for you, (or you can do it yourself), bottle it, pasteurise it quickly so it keeps, and you can even have your own personal label!”


Neil’s young children, Arthur and Fergus, are masters of the technique of making juice, but it is simple enough for even adults to get the hang of it!


After a very dry spring and summer the recent rains have been extremely welcome. 


Said Neil Macdonald “The dry sunny weather has given the fruit lots of flavour and sweetness and now the rains are coming at exactly the right moment to swell the fruit and make it really juicy.”


The orchards will be open 10.00 - 17.00, Friday to Sunday on each weekend in September.  Free entrance and parking.  Bags and containers provided.


West Bradley Orchards, West Bradley, BA6 8LT 
2 miles off the A361 between Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury
Tel: 01458 850 227

Gold at The Great Taste Awards

Neil Macdonald & Andrew Quinlan

The Orchard Pig was delighted to receive three Golds at the Great Taste Awards 2010.  Its Medium Sparkling Cider, Apple Juice and Ginger and Sparkling Jonagold Apple Juice were all declared winners in this year’s Awards.

Andrew Quinlan said “ It’s the first time we have won three Golds in one year and we’re absolutely thrilled. The Fine Food Awards are a real benchmark of quality, because each product is tasted by several judges, and Gold Stars are only awarded when everyone is in agreement, so we are honoured to have made the grade once more.”

Neil Macdonald said “It always comes down to the quality of the raw ingredients and we’re improving on that year by year in our orchards.  Our techniques and understanding are getting much better too so its great to see that someone thinks we’re doing it right!”