Our History
The present 10 acre cider apple orchard was originally planted by Stan Lynch in 1970 and 1971 to provide cider apples to the Taunton Cider Company. The apples were sent down to Somerset each autumn by grain lorry and used to make the well known "Blackthorn Cider".
In addition, Stan planted a further 6 acres of orchard made up of eating and cooking apples, together with cob nuts.
In 1983 Stan decided to start making his own cider on the Farm, and the Upton Cider Company was formed. Now all the cider apples go for our own cider production.
Always keen to promote nature, Stan decided to end the spraying of the trees and the applications of outside fertilizers in 1989. Very much a pioneer idea in those days, since then the orchard has been maintained spray free. All the cider is organic and made in accordance with Soil Association standards.
Stan sadly died in 2008, aged 86.
Since 1999, the Upton Cider Company has been run by Val Fitchett, assisted by her husband Robert. Val served an apprenticeship with Stan in 1998, before taking over the business the following year.