We planted three orchards between 2006 and 2007, with around 500 trees. When we first moved here, there was only one solitary apple tree in the fields that are now orchards. We think that first tree is a Newton Wonder, which produces the sharpest juice we sell. Its familiar bent silhouette became our logo, along with our first two rescue chickens Peppa and Scarlet, beautifully designed by Alice Povey Illustration.

We chose apple varieties we liked, especially if we thought they would taste nice as apple juice, but still with distinct tastes from each other. We predominantly planted Devon apples, but we also liked old Westcountry varieties and heritage apples that don’t originate in Devon but would grow well in our mild, wet, and windy climate. We also chose a few modern seedlings that were discovered in Devon, giving us a wide range of varieties.

We make single-variety apple juices – 100% apple juice, with nothing else added. We pride ourselves on our single-variety juices, as you can taste the characteristics of each variety. They range from sweet to sharp, clear to cloudy, and have other more subtle qualities too to distinguish them from each other. Sometimes we even press small batches of apples if a single tree has been prolific.

We also make cider! Although it is currently made just for family and friends, we may be getting a licence to sell soon. We are also starting to experiment with making dried apple slices for snacking, and are looking into the logistics of making it work, as well as exploring providing courses for pruning, cider making, and possibly more!

We started making juice by hiring the Orchards Live kit and quickly realised we need our own equipment and dedicated space. We got LEADER funding (from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) with REAL Devon in 2016 to help with Little Emlett Orchard – Next Phase: our project to buy our own press, mill, and pasteuriser, and to renovate an old barn. Since then, we have expanded the amount of apple juice we can press, and we offer apple pressing services to people and sometimes other businesses who bring their own apples to us.

We sell our apple juices at markets, fairs, and festivals, and we sell to shops, cafes, pubs, B&Bs, campsites, etc. You can also order directly from us, and we can deliver for free, if local.