As autumn arrives in Somerset, it’s time to pull down the shutters, gather firewood, and prepare for the approaching winter. Yet, this season is also a moment to celebrate — particularly here, where centuries of rich apple harvests have shaped our landscape and culture.
Autumn in Somerset is truly magnificent. The county’s stunning orchards and golden countryside come alive, marking harvest time with a special vibrancy that reflects the bounty of the land. Romantic poet John Keats perfectly captured the essence of this season in his 1819 poem Ode to Autumn. His phrases like “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” and “to bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees” could easily describe our very own orchards and farmlands.
Somerset is synonymous with apples. Our county boasts diverse, abundant orchards producing apples in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. The tradition of wassailing—a pagan-rooted custom of offering cider to apple trees to encourage a fruitful harvest—still thrives here. Usually celebrated in January, wassailing brings communities together for cider, song, and cheer as they toast the year’s bountiful harvest.
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Apples and cider go hand in hand in Somerset. While cider may often be associated with summer, the region’s craft brewers have expanded the tradition with a vibrant range of flavours, especially from producers like Showerings, Thatchers, Honey’s Cider, Pilton Cider, and Sheppy’s. These producers often use organically grown local apples, creating ciders enjoyed far beyond our county, from cosy pubs to lively festivals.
Warm, mulled cider is a delightful autumn and winter treat, perfectly paired with crisp, cool days. Beyond cider, Somerset’s cider brandy is gaining acclaim for its quality and sustainability. Burrow Hill in Kingsbury Episcopi, Martock, has earned national and international awards not only for its exceptional cider brandy but also for its commitment to environmentally conscious farming.
A recent report ranked Somerset cider brandy as the UK’s most sustainable aged spirit. Burrow Hill’s farm is a model of sustainability, exceeding net-zero emissions by cultivating, harvesting, fermenting, distilling, ageing, and bottling its products on-site. The report highlights the importance of low-intensity orchards, a vital UK habitat for preserving biodiversity.
Somerset’s farmers and producers are leading efforts to protect our beautiful land for future generations, blending tradition with innovation to sustain both the environment and our heritage. And what better way to celebrate this than with a glass of expertly crafted cider brandy, warming the heart and soul through autumn and into winter?
Many cider farms in Somerset welcome visitors, offering farm shops stocked with delicious organic apple products. Spending an autumn afternoon exploring these farms is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the season and our county’s unique culture.
So, take a lesson from Keats — step outside, celebrate the splendour of autumn, and raise a glass to the generations of Somersetians who have cherished our orchards and ciders for centuries.
As Keats himself wrote, “How beautiful the season is now. How fine the air, a temperate sharpness about it… I never liked stubble-fields so much as now — aye, better than chilly green of the Spring.”