Aston Manor Cider has reported a very successful harvest as the last of the season’s apples make their journey from the orchards to the business’ pressing and processing facility in Stourport-on-Severn.

During the intensive 8-week pressing season, which is expected to end at the beginning of December, around 280 tonnes of apples were pressed and processed at the site each day.

Many different varieties, ranging from bittersweet to dessert apples, were collected from over 1,000 acres of orchards in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Commenting on a prosperous harvest, Rodney Clifford, head cider maker at Aston Manor, said: “The harvest has gone exceptionally well this year.

“We’ve been fortunate to have very kind weather conditions, a great balance of sunlight and rain – ideal for growing fruit. This has resulted in clean, fresh-tasting apples that will make delicious cider.

“The orchards are in excellent condition too, paving the way for next year”.

This year, the UK’s largest independent cider maker also completed its biggest planting scheme to date resulting in 400,000 new trees being added to the landscape, since the first saplings were planted in 2013.

The planting scheme enables the business to support future growth with a supply of locally-grown apples to support a broad portfolio of quality ciders.

Aston Manor Cider seeks to be a sustainable business, which was recently recognised at the Drinks Business Green Awards where the business won an award in the Water Management category for its impressive green technology at Stourport.

The Stourport cider mill was also given an AA rating from the British Retail Consortium for its high standards in production – the best possible accreditation for a scheduled audit.