You don’t get much more local than this! Crickhowell-based Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice pick all their fruit within 12 miles of the town and juice it within 24 hours. And, with a few notable exceptions, everything they produce is sold within 50 miles of the farm.

Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice has, for the past 12 years, been run by John and Margaret Morris.  They were awarded a Royal Warrant to supply the Prince of Wales which, in turn, helped them win a contract to supply juice to Japan.  But the vast majority of the business is still local, and they want to keep it that way.  And with the business firmly established, John and Margaret are handing over the reins to their son, David and his partner Emma Quenby.

David said: “We supply a lot of juice in Crickhowell, which is fantastic. We sell through shops and the visitor centre, hotels and B+Bs. We have been happy to supply the B+Bs at trade prices so that visitors to the area get a taste of Crickhowell.”

The business bottles 30 varieties of organic or herbicide and pesticide free apples, each providing a juice which is individual in flavour and colour: “No two apple juices are the same,” David said, “varieties will differ in colour and each have their own distinctive flavour. Even the same apple will produce a different taste season to season because of variations in temperatures, different amounts of sunlight etc. It’s a bit like wine.”

David believes freshness is the key: “Unlike many supermarket juices, ours are not from concentrate, so you are not getting tap water, just the juice of the apple. We pick by hand and juice them within 24 hours.  That locks in the freshness and makes sure you get the best possible taste from each individual variety. Some larger organisations put them in cold stores meaning the apples start to deteriorate and the nutritional value diminishes. You cannot therefore ensure the quality of the apple is retained.”

Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice currently supplies around 12-18,000 75cl bottles to local outlets as well as a similar number of smaller, 25cl bottles. David and Emma have plans to grow the business and expand into other fruits, however they are committed to staying local and are keen to work with other producers to create a sustainable supply of local produce.

David said: “It’s important for people in the local area to know what is produced here. It is clear that Crickhowell residents are really keen to support local producers and so raising awareness of all the products we have to offer will give people the opportunity to buy more of their household purchases locally. Everyone knows you can get high quality, locally sourced meat and vegetables from Crickhowell high street but we want people to know about all the locally produced food and drink that is available to them. People also want to make informed choices about where they get their food from because of the increased awareness and concern around food miles, the carbon footprint and excessive packaging/plastics in food transport. If you can inform people about the range of products available to them and you can supply them for 12 months of the year from local food projects, we will be able to get huge investment in local businesses as well as growing the local market, which benefits us all.”

Article and photographs by Tim Jones, As You See It Media

Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice

• Uses Local Produce