Got apples? Let’s make cider together.
Bring us the apples your tree gives you and we’ll give you back the cider and juice they become.
No apple left on the lawn.
Every autumn, gardens all over Surrey and Hampshire are carpeted with fruit nobody has time to use. We’d rather it became something.
The Exchange is our favourite part of the year. People turn up with bags, boxes and buckets; we tip them into green crates, write your name down, and a few months later you get your own cider and juice back.
Every garden adds something different: a sharp cooker, a sweet dessert apple, a tree someone’s grandad planted and nobody knows the name of. That mix is what gives our cider its character, and why no two years taste quite the same.
Measured in green crates.
From August to the start of October we welcome apples in any container you have. When you arrive we measure what you’ve brought using our standard green crate.
of apples = one 500ml bottle of our craft cider
of apples = two 750ml bottles of our apple juice
bottles maximum per household, unless we’ve agreed otherwise
Juice is usually ready to collect from late November. Cider takes longer, and is ready the following spring. We’ll announce collection dates here and in our newsletter.
What we’re looking for.
The fruit we press shapes the cider we all end up drinking, so please make sure your apples are:
- Ripe and ready. Ripe but still firm. Windfalls that have only just dropped are often perfect.
- Clean and healthy. Bumps, bruises and scabs are fine, as they add character. We can’t take mouldy, rotten or decaying fruit. A quick rinse to get the mud off is always appreciated.
- Unsprayed. Please don’t bring apples that have been sprayed.
- Any variety. Dessert apples, cookers, even sharp little crab apples all go into the blend.
Two places to bring them.
- Farnham
- Kilnside Farm, Moor Park Lane, Farnham GU10 1NS
Our cidery - Four Marks
- 71a Blackberry Lane, Four Marks GU34 5DF
Please call ahead so we know you’re coming: send us a message.
We can collect.
If you’re local and have more than 100kg of apples, we’re happy to drop off some crates and come back for them. Get in touch for details.
Terms and conditions
Our cider and juice is made by our sister company Kilnside Orchards Limited, family owned and based at Kilnside Farm.
By contributing your apples, you agree to the following terms and conditions. Our goal is to turn the community’s surplus fruit into delicious craft cider and apple juice for everyone to enjoy.
1. Participation and apple contribution
- Apple quality: To create the best possible cider and juice, we ask that all contributed apples be ripe, clean, and free from significant mould or rot. A few bruises or scabs are perfectly acceptable. We cannot accept apples that have been sprayed with pesticides.
- Measurement: Your apple contribution will be measured by volume using our standard green crates upon arrival at one of our drop-off locations.
- To participate you must drop your apples with us at a drop off location. Exchanges for apples collected or picked by us must be agreed separately and remain subject to these terms and conditions.
- Exchange rate: The exchange is based on the following rates:
- One (1) green crate of apples entitles you to one (1) 500ml bottle of our signature craft cider (subject to the clauses below).
- Three (3) green crates of apples entitle you to two (2) 750ml bottles of our crisp apple juice (subject to the clauses below).
2. Nature of the exchange
- Best effort basis: The Kilnside Orchards Cider Exchange is operated on a “best effort” basis. This means that while we will use all reasonable skill and effort to process the apples and produce high-quality cider and juice, we do not guarantee a specific outcome. The success of the pressing and fermentation can be influenced by factors beyond our control, including the quality and variety of the apples contributed by the community.
- Maximum exchange: The maximum exchange is 48 bottles of either cider or apple juice or a mix unless otherwise agreed.
- No contractual agreement: Participation in the cider exchange is voluntary and does not create a binding legal contract between you and Kilnside Orchards. It is a community-based initiative based on mutual goodwill.
3. Collection of cider and apple juice
- Collection period: Participants must return to collect their cider or juice once it has been processed. Please contact us to confirm the start date.
- Collection deadline: All cider and apple juice must be collected by the 1st of August of the year following your apple deposit. For example, if you deposit apples in the autumn of 2024, your cider/juice must be collected by August 1st, 2025.
- Uncollected goods: Due to limited storage space, any cider or apple juice that has not been collected by the 1st of August deadline will be considered forfeit and will be added to general stock. We are unable to offer reminders, and it is your responsibility to collect your share by the deadline.
4. Liability
- Kilnside Orchards is not liable for any loss or disappointment resulting from the cider-making process. By participating, you acknowledge that the quantity and quality of the final product may vary.
- Limitation of liability: In the event that the resulting cider or juice is lost, damaged, spoiled, or otherwise unavailable for any reason (including, but not limited to, fermentation failure or processing issues), Kilnside Orchards is under no obligation to provide a replacement product or any form of financial reimbursement.
- Participant’s responsibility: The Participant is responsible for ensuring their contributed apples meet the quality standards. By participating, you acknowledge the inherent risks in a natural fermentation process.
5. General
- Age restriction: You must be 18 years or older to receive cider. Proof of age may be requested upon collection.
- Changes to terms: Kilnside Orchards reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.
- Governing law: These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
By dropping off your apples at Kilnside Orchards or one of our designated drop-off points, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and conditions. We look forward to making cider with you.