A Visit to Sandford Orchards

Recently, we told you about the apple-picking we did in Georgeham late last year. We recently followed up with Sandford Orchards to see what has become of the apples we delivered to them!

We travelled to Crediton to visit the orchard with a group of staff from all the GFD.co sites with the express purpose of learning all about the creation of their cider, and also intending to taste the product of our own apples!

The tour came first — we saw the full works of Sandford Orchards from the delivery bays to the carefully put together press, all the way through to the storage. In among all the many Sandford blends was contained our very own "Thatch Orchards" cider. The raw product was dry, fresh, with quite a bit of acidity.

Together with the experts from Sandford, we spent the afternoon experimenting with different blends, refining the Thatch Orchards taste into a delicious final product, one we can't wait to share with you. With the final blend decided, we're now awaiting the batch to be complete. This should be in 2-3 months, perfectly timed for an early summer refreshment!

We think together with Sandford Orchards we've produced a fantastic product. Apples grown in Georgeham and sent to Crediton to be returned to The Thatch, Billy Budds, the Depot, and The Sawmills — a cider that is truly local, and unique to our sites. Keep an eye out for more news and updates; we'll be sure to let everyone know when the first sip of our cider will be available to the public!