Have your Isle of Wight apples turned into cider and get fresh juice in return

Helen Jones and Katherine Bouton are the driving force behind an Isle of Wight cider company that ferment Island apple juice to cider in a cave in Ventnor.

So popular has their product been this year, that at the end of last month, Grazed Knee Cider completely sold out of stock.

Committed to collecting more apples
To avoid this happening again the team have organised some community pressing days, Island-wide apple pick ups and are accepting apples in return for juice at their caves every Sunday afternoon for the next few weeks.

Helen told News OnTheWight,

“We’re committed to increase our apple collecting this year, so we have more cider in future years.
“Apples are beginning to drop, so we’re scheduling in various harvesting events.”

Community Pressing Days
Two Community Pressing Days have been organised for 2nd October at Ventnor Rugby Club and 16th October at Brighstone Scout Hut.

Helen explained,

“We’ll be pressing apples brought along, and will offer donors fresh juice to take away in their own containers or juice that we’ve pasteurised to make it storage stable. People can see how it’s done.”

She said there are hopes of a Community Pressing Day in Freshwater Bay in October and will update as soon as it’s confirmed.

Juice for apples
On Sunday afternoons between now (20th Sept) and the end of October, Grazed Knee are accepting apple donations at their cave in Ventnor.

In return they offer pasteurised juice. Just head to the industrial estate off Ocean View Road (where the train station used to be).

Apple collection
If you can’t make it along to the Ventnor caves, Grazed Knee also pick up and collect apples from around the Island.

More dates will be added later, but so far they have the following: