West Bradley Orchards wins prize for Best Cider Orchard

We are absolutely delighted to announce that West Bradley Orchards has won the top prize for the Best Cider Orchard at the Royal Bath & West Society Show 2013.

West Bradley Orchards was described by the judges as “A first-rate modern intensive orchard of Falstaff and Red Windsor on canes supported by post and wire. The whole orchard is immaculately clean and tidy, scoring highly for attention to detail in the tree training, presentation and well maintained grass alleyways.”

Owner Edward Clifton-Brown (above right) said “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award.  Our system of growing is different from traditional methods and we are conscious, and delighted, that the judges, in giving this prize to West Bradley Orchards, are looking to the future of Somerset orchards. Our competitors from abroad are already trialling new ways of growing apples, with great results.  We must not be left behind.”

The judges went on to say that West Bradley Orchards demonstrated “Good orchard management and sympathetic treatment of the margins and hedges”.

Neil Macdonald from Orchard Groundforce which manages West Bradley Orchards commented “West Bradley Orchards is a wonderful example of commercial growing and sustainability working hand in hand. With a growing global population we need to look at food security, and maximising our use of available growing spaces is vital. An orchard has ten times more wildlife than a grass field, offering habitats for hundreds of birds, insects, mammals and invertebrates as well as wildflowers, grasses, lichens and funghi.”

Fruit from West Bradley Orchards goes into award winning ciders from Orchard Pig, Thatcher’s and The Shepton Mallet Cider Mill.