ABOUT
From Orchard to Bottle
The story began in 2017 when Roy Matheson planted around 3,000 apple trees on the south-facing slopes of Kirkhill, just outside Elgin in the heart of Moray, North East Scotland.
Sheltered by a natural birch woodland, the orchard enjoys the ideal conditions for growing high-quality apples. The trees are planted on dwarf rootstocks, meaning they grow to around five feet tall. Their compact size makes them easier to care for and allows every apple to be picked by hand.
Throughout the year, they carefully nurture both the trees and the soil. During January and February, each tree is pruned to maintain its shape, encourage healthy growth, and ensure every apple has the space and sunlight it needs to develop.
A Blend of Varieties
They grow 14 carefully selected apple varieties, each ripening at different times throughout the season. This staggered harvest allows them to pick every apple at its best.
Rather than relying on a single variety, we blend the apples together to create a juice with exceptional depth of flavour. The balance of sweet, sharp and aromatic apples gives our juice its distinctive character and natural complexity.
Spring in Bloom
Each spring, the orchard bursts into a sea of blossom. Thousands of delicate flowers cover the trees, transforming the landscape and signalling the start of a new growing season.
Bee hives become a hive of activity as the bees tirelessly pollinate the blossoms, ensuring the fruit begins to develop. They’re joined by many other beneficial insects, including ladybirds and spiders, which naturally help keep harmful pests under control and maintain a healthy orchard ecosystem.
Summer Growth
As spring gives way to summer, tiny apples begin to appear. Naturally, the trees shed some of this young fruit so that the remaining apples have enough room and energy to grow into full-sized fruit.
Throughout the summer, the apples continue to mature. They monitor them closely as harvest approaches, checking them every day. When the pips inside turn a rich dark brown, they know they’re perfectly ripe and ready to be picked.
Harvest Time
Harvest is the busiest and most exciting time of the year.
Every apple is picked by hand to ensure only the best fruit makes it into our juice. It takes many helping hands to bring in the crop, making harvest a real team effort.
Our orchard is fully fenced to protect the trees and fruit from local wildlife, including deer and badgers, allowing the apples to ripen undisturbed.
Pressing & Pasteurising
In 2026 Roy and Val sold the pressing and pasteurising side of the business to Bill and Helen Smith. This equipment is now located at Byres Farm, Spey Bay and it is here the apples begin their journey from fruit to fresh juice.
Our mobile pressing and pasteurising unit contains everything needed to process the apples on-site. The freshly picked apples are tipped onto an inspection table, carefully checked, washed and then pressed.
The juice flows into a holding tank before being flash pasteurised at a minimum temperature of 83.5°C. If the temperature falls below this level, the juice automatically recirculates until it reaches the required temperature again. This carefully controlled process ensures the juice is safely pasteurised while preserving its fresh apple flavour and extending its shelf life.
Bottled Fresh
Once pasteurised, the juice is bottled, capped and allowed to cool before each bottle is carefully labelled.
From there, our apple juice is ready to leave the orchard and make its way to retailers across Moray and beyond—bringing the taste of our orchard directly to your table.