Extract from The Beacon September 2020 Issue 465
South Zeal Cider Press
"A lot of people have asked me: ”What has happened to the annual cider making?’ Well, a few people have asked that. OK - to be honest one person has asked it.
Anyway, I thought it might be of some interest if I set out how it all started and what we might do to get it going again. (Some of the text below is taken from an article I delivered to the Dartmoor News in January 2007.) I am pretty sure that the idea would have germinated in The Kings Arms: such ideas usually do.
It stemmed from the general acknowledgement that all of us were trying to palm off to each other our surplus apples; and as fast as we managed to give them away we were obliged to receive them from others.“Why not,” (it was mooted) “make our own apple juice, or even better, make our own cider with all these apples?” A brilliant light shone through the warm, fuggy atmosphere of The Kings Arms, and we followed the thought up the next day with a request to Mike Boother that we locate the press (when we had one) in aspare barn of his in the middle of the village. Mike, wise to the many wheezes which have emanated from this source and which were never heard of again, readily agreed.
Indeed, as the years rolled by and there was no sign of any applesf or crushing let alone a press, he even dared to venture the odd joke to me but with a knowing look - “What was I going to use that barn for? I just can’t remember!” and “I really fancy a drop of village cider right now if only there was any - oh! I’m sorry I didn’t see you there!”
But one fine day in 2005 we chalked up our own victory when Paul Reddaway, Dave Denford, Giles Healy and I trundled back from Honiton with several tons of press bits (which Giles had located) on a trailer and deposited the same in Mike’s barn. Mike, to his credit, didn’t bat an eyelid! Paul, Dave, Mike and Bev Hilton rigged it up (no mean feat!) and Giles found a suitable apple crusher.The pressings took took place in October every year from 2005 to 2016. Whole families came along to enjoy the spectacle and help the process. It involved picking cider apples from an old orchard near Yeoford, gathering for the crushing and pressing, and storing the result in barrels, and from time to time meeting to enjoy the fruits of our labours.
It may be that in 2020 (if we can find a way to meet the social distancing requirements) we could press your excess apples andyou can take the juice home to drink or to make your own cider. We would need enough apples and enough people to help workthe press. If you reckon you could be interested then please email me (robintilley00@gmail.com) and if it looks workable, and if we can comply with whatever safety requires - relays of six people possibly! - I will liaise with Mike and set up the arrangements. However, please do not take any apples up to the press until we know if it is happening or not!
I do not think we can use the Yeoford apple supply again, so for 2021 (by which time I hope some normality will have returned) it would be very helpful if we could find out where there may be old cider orchards nearby. If you know of any please tell me and I will approach the owners to see if they will allow us to take their apples in 2021. I have loads of photographs spanning 2005 to 2016 (except 2014 -I must have been away!) .... Robin"
... Many of the photos are shown in the gallery below
