A few days ago I had the pleasure of spending a day with Britain’s oldest cider maker Frank Naish. He has been producing traditional Somerset cider for over 80 years, first helping his father to gather and press the harvest from orchards on the family-run farm at Pilton, near Glastonbury as a boy. In Later years, Frank ran the business with his brother Harold, and continues to offer expertise and a helping hand to Midsomer Norton producer Paul Chant.

 

It's early morning and what a delight it is to watch old and new methods working together; Paul driving his large mechanical collector while Frank employs his expert nose to sniff out roll-away apples in bushes and ditches.

 

The pair stop for lunch and head back to the farmhouse - Paul's tractor sweeping along the single-track lanes, dispersing fallen leaves in the autumn sunshine while Frank happily balances on the trailer. Their reward for a morning's hard labour is a plate of steaming potatoes, carrots and beef, that have been gently cooking in Frank's aga. Everything's washed down with a large mug of tea. 

Just as they're about to head back to work, a regular customer arrives with three small barrels to fill. With his cheery disposition Paul serves him while Frank quietly observes. Back in the familiar surroundings of the orchard, Frank shows me the tree that he grew from a pip. I ask him what he has named the apples “well, they’re just called Our's” he replies.

They continue to gather apples as the afternoon turns to evening in the late autumn sunshine, I return home.