Enjoy ‘Blossom Day’ at Rull Orchards on 22 April

Rull Orchard is the brainchild of Mike and Claire Shorland. One autumnal morning Mike had a reawakening. He no longer wanted to destroy but to create, and took the leap to leave his long term career to pursue a dream of planting a new orchard near Tiverton.

The couple started making cider in 2020 and has expanded the business to offer juices, honey and sparkling drinks, winning awards along the way.

The process of starting a cidery has evolved into a project of permaculture to encourage the natural biodiversity of the site and to grow as many of the ingredients for their products as they can.

April and May is blossom time in orchards. Borrowing an idea from Japanese Cherry gardens, Rull Orchard is hosting a Hanami Day or Blossom Day.

Rull Orchard will be open during the day for guests to walk, sit and enjoy some peace and quiet or mindfulness. Bring a picnic and eat surrounded by the blossom of a variety of different apple and pear blossoms.

Hanami, which means ‘flower viewing’ in Japanese, is the traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of blossom. It is synonymous with public picnics, friends, and families sitting down under the trees with food and drink.