VISITORS to Coombe Abbey can now relish the distinct flavour of Mrs Main’s Brinklow Apple Juice, knowing they are supporting local agriculture and enjoying a product crafted with care and dedication just minutes from the hotel.
The Abbey Artisan Market at Coombe Abbey Hotel has introduced this limited edition apple juice, which is produced from 38 different varieties of apples grown and harvested at Manor Farm in Brinklow.
This scheme aligns with No Ordinary Hospitality Management’s commitment to collaborating with local suppliers, bringing an authentic taste of rural England to the hotel’s visitors.
The partnership between Coombe Abbey Hotel and Mrs Main’s Brinklow Apple Juice came about at the Daffodil Sunday Festival.
Jo Main, who runs the apple juice business with her husband, Richard, said: “Someone from Coombe was there and asked if we’d like to supply. And that’s how it all came about.”
Manor Farm, a 20-acre smallholding, is home to around 1,000 apple trees.
Jo added: “When my father-in-law retired in 2013 we didn’t know what to do. We didn’t want animals again so we thought ‘let’s plant some apple trees’.
“We planted about 40 to start with. Our first batch; I think we got about 40 bottles and it’s gone from there.
“We’ve planted 100 trees every year since so we’ve now got about 1,000.”
With a collection of local apple varieties, including the rare Wyken Pippin from the closed Ryton Organic Gardens, Mrs Main’s Brinklow Apple Juice stands out for its unique flavor.
“We put them in all together and press them, we don’t separate.
“Everything goes in and it comes out with a taste that’s individual to us. It’s not like supermarket apple juice. It’s totally unique.
“So many people try it and really like it.”
Ron Terry, operations director at No Ordinary Hospitality, added: “We work with some fantastic small businesses in the region who create high-quality products you can only find in Coventry and Warwickshire, and Mrs Main’s Brinklow Apple Juice is one of the most local we work with.
“To have their excellent product available for visitors to enjoy, knowing it’s made just a few minutes away, is really special and we are thrilled to be working with them.”
In favorable seasons, Jo and Richard can produce up to 1,600 bottles of apple juice.
The apples are typically harvested between late August and early September, after which they are processed by a friend in Stourport-on-Severn, who handles the pressing, pasteurising, and bottling.
Any surplus apples are used to make mulled cider for local Christmas markets, as well as cider vinegar and scrumpy cider throughout the year.
