Apple Natural

10/06/2026

A reminder of our shop opening and closing times and how we work with our producers to bring you the freshest local seasonal produce.

08/06/2026

Picking Tamar Valley strawberries to go with 2026 apple harvest for Hint of Strawberry ..🍓

07/06/2026

Earlier this year I attended a Nature Education Conference.

Looking at how students can be taken more out of the classroom and outside to experience the natural world. An exploration of how a love of nature can be both classroom learning and real world application. With the hope that at some point soon GCSE Natural History will exist on school exams sylabus.

At that conference one of the speakers was scientist, filmmaker and wildlife host Lizzie Daly. I was blown away by her incredible experiences and passion for nature.

As tomorrow is World Ocean Day I wanted to share this incredible picture and experience she shared that truly shows how amazing the marine life is off our UK coastline.

UNDERWATER CINEMATOGRAPHER DAN ABBOTT WITH WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST LIZZIE DALY were diving off the coast of Falmouth in Cornwall filming for , during which Daly circumnavigated the UK to document and share her encounters with some of Great Britain’s more extraordinary marine life.

The barrel jellyfish, which is pretty common off the southern and western coasts of the UK in the summer, appeared in murky waters at a depth of around two metres. They tend to grow up to around 90cm in length with a weight of up to 35kg, though they have been known to reach dustbin lid-sized, according to The Wildlife Trusts.

Abbott said that the jellyfish was approximately 1.5 metres long and the same size as Daly. They swam with the creature for around an hour before heading back to the surface.

Photograph Lizzie Daly / Dan Abbott

02/06/2026

24/05/2026

Mornings are noisy here at the moment…..

5am and the birds are in full dawn chorus…. A beautiful sound, albeit a bit earlier that I need to wake up.

Lucky that that is the noise that wakes us.

The orchard is lush at the moment, the grass is long, the hedgerows are alive. The first yellow rattle, foxgloves, red campion and marsh orchids. It definitely is a habitat for all species to thrive. Even if I do need to find time for a bit of tree and grass management!

My husband sat and recorded the birdsong around and it is amazing, added to that swallows and nearby swifts overhead, with the fortunate sound of a skylark.

I recently discovered the seven wonders of the bird…. And they really are.. Explore each of their wonders, they truly are amazing.

1. Flight
Avian flight is one of nature’s greatest triumphs.

2. Migration
The epic, globe-spanning journeys undertaken by birds.

3. Feather
Feathers are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates.

4. Song
Avian vocalisations are more than just background noise; they are sophisticated systems of communication used to establish territory, attract mates, and warn of predators.

5. Egg
The avian egg is a marvel of biological engineering. Its hard yet semi-permeable calcium carbonate shell protects and nourishes a developing embryo, while its staggering variety of colours and patterns provides camouflage against predators.

6. Nest
Nests represent incredible feats of avian architecture, tailored specifically to the needs of each species.

7. Beak
A bird's beak is a highly adapted, multi-purpose tool that dictates its entire way of life.

22/04/2026

Working with the seasons and trying something new …

As we work towards the end of our apple stock, we’ll be making flavour changes for the season ahead …

Stock up on favourites, you can fill bigger bags in our online shop…

21/04/2026

Orchard blossom in the evening light …

21/04/2026

That magic time of year …our woodland walk ...

Conversation that connect us with our food …

On a recent dog walk in our local woods with my teenage son, surrounded by bluebells and wild garlic, the colours, the smells… “why is this garlic different” ?

So it began…the flavour is different the leaves and flowers are milder than the dried bulb, with wild garlic we eat the leaves and flowers leaving the perennial bulb for another year, it’s wild and is mostly found in woodland. It’s one of nature’s many nutrient dense wonders that comes just once a year…

If only I’d also known that cows love it and yes it can therefore create garlic flavoured milk!

Shop local Wild Garlic and Elephant Garlic on the Hub.

03/04/2026

Running through our Award Winning Hint of Blackcurrant, refilling stock, whilst the sun is shining.