Access to the Production Facilities at The Orchard Centre

Background

The Orchard Centre is the base for a unique collaborative initiative between the Hartpury Heritage Trust and Mitchell F&D Limited. An original concept was developed by the Trust in 2007 - the intention being to conserve the traditional fruit orchard by stimulating use and demand for its products. The Orchard Centre is now the main base for Peter Mitchell's own award winning demonstration commercial production facilities the Cider & Perry Academy's courses, advisory work and support services.

Current Facilities

The main aim of Mitchell F&D Limited's work at the Orchard Centre is to provide training, skills & technology transfer and support, advice & stimulus for business development for other individuals and enterprises. In support of this and as a demonstration of commercial practices, the company has invested in a range of equipment and associated infrastructure as follows:

1. Fruit processing: Fruit handling, washing, milling & pressing (small & medium-scale).
2. Fermentation & liquid handling: Temperature controlled FVs, bag-in-box liquid storage, pumps & hoses.
3. Downstream processing & packaging: Sheet (pad) filtration, blending, chilling, 2-stage cartridge filtration, carbonation, gravity & counter-pressure bottle filling, screw & crown-capping, in-pack pasteurisation, labelling, shrink-wrap casing.
4. Ancillary: Laboratory analysis (inc. SG, TA, SO2, %ABV, CO2), CIP, record systems

An additional aim of the venture is to ensure sustainability - for the fruit orchard, the businesses and organisations involved, and for the environment. Current features include photovoltaic tiles for energy supply, water harvesting facilities and a reed-bed grey-water purification system. As an initial step towards carbon-neutral production, electrical usage is being carefully monitored & bench-marked, along with the use of other resources.

Access to Facilities

Under the expert guidance of Peter Mitchell and as part of the support provided to businesses and individuals, a supervised self-help fruit milling & pressing service and a supervised self-help cider, perry & beverage processing & bottling service are provided. After initial training, individuals and businesses will be able to book and use the facilities themselves, under the supervision of expert staff. In addition to the new skills & knowledge gained, as the services are provided on a flexible ("menu" type) basis, they will provide a cost-effective solution to all those who seek to use them.

Fruit Processing

Both small and medium-scale equipment is available for use as follows:

Small-scale electric fruit mill and hand-operated rack & cloth press for batches of apples & pears weighing 40kg and upwards. Up to about 600kg of fruit can be processed in a day. Training for the use of this equipment will be provided during the one-day "Cider & Perry - Make & Enjoy" courses (see separate details) or can also be arranged at other times subject to demand.
Medium-scale fruit handling, centrifugal mill and hydraulic press for batches of apples & pears weighing 250kg and upwards. Up to about 1000 litres of juice can be produced in a day, dependant on fruit quality. A pump and short-term juice storage/transport vessel are also available for use. Training for the use of this equipment will be provided as required.

Details of costs are available separately;
    - please contact us for details  Tel. 01386 552324

Final Processing & Bottling for Cider, Perry & Other Beverages

A range of equipment and facilities are available to process and bottle cider, perry & other beverages as follows:

Initial processing: Filtration, product blending, chilling, carbonation and liquid handling. Bottling: For still & carbonated products into glass bottles (275ml - 2.0 litres). Capping (screw-cap & crown). Product Stabilisation: In-bottle pasteurisation. Use of preservatives (SO2) and anti-oxidant control. Labelling & Casing: Label application (single label). Shrink-wrap casing.

Users can source their own materials (e.g. bottles) or obtain them through The Orchard Centre. Systems and infrastructure for operational quality control are also available as required, including: IT support, record systems, laboratory analysis (SG, CO2, acidity, SO2), data logging (temperature & time), "bench-scale" blending trials and expert advice & support (e.g. for new product development).

The normal minimum run capacity is 250 litres, although smaller quantities can be processed and packaged if required. The bottle filler can produce up to about 250 x 500ml bottles per hour (less for larger bottles), but the total amount produced in a day or run is dependent what processes are carried out (e.g. if pre-filtration is required), the type of product to be bottled (e.g. still vs. carbonated), operator efficiency and experience.

Details of current costs are available separately.

Prior to using the facility, potential users should attend a training course. Details of this are also separately available and can be found on this web page: Processing & Packaging Cider & Perry for the Marketplace As well ensuring users get a detailed insight into the facility at The Orchard Centre and receiving training in the specific items of equipment to be used, the course will also provide for a thorough understanding and knowledge of the whole process involved in processing & packaging cider, perry & other beverages for the marketplace.

Further Details

For further details, please contact us to discuss you requirements -
    Tel. 01386 552324