THIS year’s bumper harvest meant that more than 20 different apple varieties were on sale at Carhampton Community Orchard’s Apple Day last Saturday.

Grown without chemicals and managed by a team of local volunteers, the orchard’s multiple apple varieties offered flavours which, enthusiasts claim, are never to be found in the supermarkets.

Freshly-pressed orchard juice was also available in the orchard with visiting families joining in the juicing process and some bringing their own apples to juice.

The village hall offered a range of apple-based delights, including orchard chutneys and jellies, along with home-made cakes and home-made soup and pudding lunches.

For those who missed Apple Day, there are plenty more opportunities to enjoy Carhampton Orchard apples, which will continue to be available throughout the season at Toucan Wholefoods in Minehead and other local outlets.

A spokesperson for the Carhampton orchard said: “Apple Day, observed nationally on October 21 each year and originally created by the environmental organisation Common Ground, marks a special event in each of our local community orchards’ calendars.

“And the value of community orchards - as gene pools for traditional apple varieties, as havens for wild creatures, plants, fungi and lichens, and as green spaces absorbing harmful CO2 - is increasingly relevant in the context of climate change and carbon reduction.

“This is the perfect time to support, preserve and create community orchards, and to ensure community orchards are included in Somerset Council’s new Nature Recovery Strategy, which is still under public consultation until October 31.

“To contribute to the consultation, search online for Somerset Nature Recovery Strategy.”

Carhampton Community Orchard’s next event will be the annual Christmas Lights turn-on on Saturday, December 6, from 5.30 to 6.30pm.

For more information about the orchard and orchard events email Elizabeth Atkinson at [email protected] or ring 01643 821756.