Community Apple Day at Egton, near Whitby, proves a tremendous success
Egton recently hosted a celebration of autumn with its first-ever Community Apple Day, held at the Egton Parish Recreation ground.
Thanks to funding from North Yorkshire Council’s Inspire fund, matched by councillor Clive Pearson’s locality budget and a donation from Anglo American, a group of villagers turned their apple dreams into apple juice reality!
Those attending were involved in every step of the apple pressing journey.
Apples were washed, crushed, juiced, and bottled outside in the autumnal sunshine, while pasteurisation and children’s games took place inside the pavilion.
Free tea, coffee, cakes, muffins, and sausage rolls kept everyone going and added to the community atmosphere.
Voluntary donations were collected for the church fund.
Rosettes were awarded for apple-themed bakes and children’s crafts, and everyone was given a leaflet on the production and safe storage of juice, to help them make the most of their apples at home.
There was strong support with most of the people attending coming from Egton and neighbouring parishes.
However, some had travelled from further afield, including some eager participants from Wakefield, who had spotted a promotional poster on a prior visit!
Many people donated surplus apple juice to the “community barrel,” allowing about 50% of the day’s production to be given back to locals as bottled, pasteurised juice.
At next year’s Egton Show, there will be a special category for best Egton Community Juice.
Feedback on the event has been very positive, with people calling it a “fantastic community resource,” expressing appreciation for the chance to learn about apple processing and enjoying the free juice and camaraderie.
New resident to the village, Nicola Wilson, commented on what a lovely day it was, and how nice it was for them to meet neighbours and make new friends.
The ECAD team thank community members Paula Harrison and Stella Hodgson for their efforts on the day, and Jilly Mangles and Ali Rayner for their
catering.
Plans for 2025 include a series of bookable ‘apple pressing’ days throughout September and October, hopefully leading to a larger apple festival around National Apple Day on October 21.
These smaller events will allow more people to access the equipment, and the ECAD team hopes to extend this resource to nearby parishes and community groups.
The ambition is that this will become an annual tradition in Egton.