Apple donations help cider festival go ahead

Donations of apples have helped a cider festival go ahead after poor weather and heatwaves resulted in a severe fruit shortage for the organisers.

Jersey Heritage said its apple harvest had been badly affected, leaving far fewer apples available for its annual cider festival, La Faîs'sie d'Cidre.

The event at Hamptonne Country Life Museum on 17 and 18 October, recreates traditional cider-making using a horse-powered stone crusher and wooden press.

Nicola Lucas, Jersey Heritage's community events curator, said it had received around 40 bags of different varieties of apples, about a quarter of the amount they usually used, and were "really grateful".

Making the appeal for apples, Lucas explained the orchard normally produced about 80 large sacks of fruit for cider.

"We'll be lucky to fill two sacks this year and are also hearing that any apples that have been harvested are not offering much juice," she said.

She said donated apples came from islanders with one apple tree in their garden, as well as those who had a few trees or a small orchard.

"It's about a quarter of the amount we usually use but it is enough to demonstrate the traditional crushing and pressing of apples to make cider," she said.

Lucas said because this year's crop was not producing much juice there would not be as much fresh apple juice from the press for young festival-goers to try but they would still be able to watch the horse-powered crusher and wooden press being used.

She added: "Although we will be giving people the opportunity to taste last year's cider, some of it will be held back for 2027 to ensure that tastings can go ahead at next year's cider festival in the absence of a vintage from this year."

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