Vigo Presses, the well-known West Country makers of apple presses and cider-making kits are coming to Toby’s Harvest Festival, staging demonstrations to help you make the most of your autumn harvest.

The team from the family-run business will be on the East Lawn at Forde Abbey, offering visitors the chance to try their apple crushers, presses and juicers for themselves as part of demonstrations every hour during the two-day festival. 

You can find out how to crush and mill the apples, then press the pulp and collect the juice right through to bottling and tasting. The apple presses not only work beautifully but also are great fun to operate.

Vigo Presses have been helping people make the most of their fruit since 1984 and they have their own award-winning cider brand – Courtneys. The team are all keen juice, cider and cordial makers and are passionate about helping people to try the products.

It isn’t just about apples though. Berries, currants, plums, damsons and quinces are all ideal for steaming and producing cordials and the Vigo Presses range for juice extraction by steam will also be on show. When you add in jelly making, perry from pear juice and kits for drying fruits – one of the oldest ways of preserving food known to man – then you should be able to find some exciting ways of making the best use of your garden crops.

And remember, there’s nothing like saying to a visitor, “Do have some apple juice – it’s home made.”

Vigo Presses Ltd, Dunkeswell, Honiton Devon EX14 4RD www.vigopresses.co.uk