THE November meeting of Shobrooke Friendly Club was held at Newton St Cyres Parish Hall, when nearly 30 members were treated to a very interesting talk by Danny of Sandford Orchards on the art of cider making.

Sandford Orchards was started by Barny Butterfield originally as a hobby when he was working on a farm. He asked a farmer for some apples to make himself some cider. From this “hobby” grew the present concern of Sandford Orchards. Today the concern uses several tonnes of apples to produce almost two hundred thousand pints of cider.

All the apples used are Devon grown and are collected from within a thirty mile radius of the mill in Crediton.

For most of the year the mills are silent, only operating during the apple picking season.