Pick your own near Glastonbury this weekend

This weekend and every weekend in September, West Bradley Orchards (also home to sister company The Orchard Pig Company) just off the A361 between Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet (BA6 8LT is the postcode for your SatNav) are once again opening their gates to the public to pick apples and pears before the full harvest starts.

The Orchards, owned by Edward and Sally Clifton-Brown, are one of the few remaining in Somerset producing dessert fruit and I’ve been along to the pick your own days in previous years and find that it is a great place and good fun) to pick a few apples and pears as you stroll leisurely through the orchards, and there is no minimum (or maximum) amount to buy.  The staff are friendly and helpful and the trees are easily accessible (and if you are lucky you may even get to see the Gloucester Old spot pigs the company takes it's name from.

There are 15 varieties of apple to choose from, and these include Cox Orange Pippin (my favourite despite being quite common), Bramley (a cooker not a looker), Kidd’s Orange, Charles Ross (another cooker), Jonagold (sweet and don't keep as well as some other varieties), Russet (my least favourite, the skin puts my teeth on edge), and Lord Lambourne, as well as four different varieties of pears.  Some varieties aren’t readily available in supermarkets and as you will probably appreciate, it can be much more pleasurable to pick apples grown just a few miles away rather than going to the local supermarket to select those transported from across the globe, and these fresh apples store very well for several months if kept in a cool, dry environment.

This year, on Sunday 12th September, there is a new event - apple scrumping day, which allows the public (for a small extra charge) to have their freshly picked produce made into juice which is a great way to store the goodness of freshly picked apples and pears, and enables the purchaser to see exactly what has gone into their bottle(s) of juice, and with the ability to have the juice made from one type of apple or a variety of your choosing, and if wanted a label can be made for your bottle(s).

The orchards will be open from 10.00 am to 5pm from Friday to Sunday on each weekend, with free entrance and parking.  Bags and containers are also provided.