Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce

Suffolk information

Where to get help

The East of England Apples and Orchards Project began life as the Norfolk Apples and Orchards project and was set up to promote a greater awareness of Norfolk's apple heritage. It has recently extended its brief to cover the other Eastern counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. They are surveying the area's existing orchards and helping to establish new orchards with Eastern county varieties - they produce a most comprehensive range of local apples and pears. Contact them for details of price and stock availability. They also organise Apple Day celebrations. Contact Clare Stimson or Martin Skipper at School House, Rougham, Kings Lynn PE32 2SE, or call +44(0)1328 838403, and take a look at the project web-site. They also sell trees.

Dan Neuteboom, The Orchards, Oaktree House, Braiseworth, near Eye, IP23 7DS. Dan Neuteboom is an experienced orchardist, having been actively involved in the fruit industry for decades. Now growing organic apples, propagating trees, currently researching innovative organic pest and disease control systems, maximising the positive effects offered by naturally-occurring micro-organisms in symbiotic relationships with the tree. Offers consultancy service for orchards. See his web-site.

Where to buy apples and orchard produce

High House Fruit Farm, Sudbourne, Woodbridge 1P12 2BL . Apples, pears, plums, apple juice. Call +44(0)1394 450263 or see their web-site.

Dan Neuteboom, The Orchards, Oaktree House, Braiseworth, near Eye, IP23 7DS. Organic apples, a range of varieties, plus trees sold locally. See his web-site.

Ashill fruit Farm, Swaffham Road, Ashill, near Watton. +44(0)1760 440050. A farm shop with over 40 varieties of Apples, apple juice, pears plus soft fruit, vegetables, honey, preserves. Open 9 - 5.30 Mon - Sat, 10 - 1 Sun.

Aspall, The Cyder House, Aspall Hall, Debenham 1P14 6PD . Apple juice and cyder, and cyder vinegar. In production since 1728. Call +44(0)1728 860510 or see their web-site.

Bushesbrew of Stowmarket make a range of liqueurs including mulberry vodka and gin from their own mulberry tree, and sloe gin made with fruit collected on long walks. Call +44(0)1359 242681 or see their web-site.

Castlings Heath Cottage Cider, Castings Heath Cottage, Groton, Sudbury +44(0)1787 210899.

Copella Fruit Juices Ltd, Hill Farm, Boxford, Sudbury CO10 5NY. Apple juices. +44(0)1787 210496.

James White Apple Juice & Cider, Whites Fruit Farm, Helmingham Road, Ashbocking, Ipswich IP6 9J5 . Fruit and organic juices and ciders. +44(0)1473 890111.

Metfield Stores is a community shop in Metfield, the only shop in the village, community run and specialising in local produce. They stock local apples in season, including some from very local trees as explained by nurseryman Eddie Krutysza: "The Darcy Spice apple, originally from Essex, at Nut Tree Farm, which is not picked until 1st January; a Beauty of Bath behind the shop, which is one of the parents of the modern Discovery; one remaining cider apple tree by the pond outside what used to be the Huntsman and Hounds pub.  Pubs used to brew their own cider from the fruit – a quicker and simpler process than brewing beer; a pear tree at the Homestead on Skinner’s Lane with fruit suitable for perry, and another opposite the chapel.  Most farms had their own cider and perry trees; A Tom Putt, another cider apple, near St John’s cottage; A newer pear variety, Concorde, outside Lavender Cottage. Eddie explains that "There were once a number of orchards in the locality – at Weybread, Laxfield, Wissett and Eye - which banded together as Waveney Apple Growers. Many local orchards grew pears as well as apples. However, a lot of them were grubbed up in the 1990s, as they were no longer commercially viable.  Cold springs and ‘lazy’ winds (those that go through you rather than round you)  made fruit growing a risky business in this area in the past, but with the climate getting milder, the prospects for fruit growing are looking good". Metfield Stores celebrate Apple Day each year, often with local specialist nurseryman Eddie Krutysza on hand to dispense information and advice. Contact the shop on +44(0)1379 586204 or see their website

Paradise Juices, The Cider Place, Cherry Tree Farm, Ilketshall St Lawrence, Nr Beccles. Also makers of Paradise Cider. +44(0)1986 781353.

Rookery Farm Shop, Tattingstone, Ipswich IP9 2LU, +44(0)1473 327220. Sells lots of varieties of fruit and veg, including a range of apples.

Shawsgate Vineyard, Badingham Road, Framlingham, Woodbridge IP13 9HZ . Apple dessert wine and cider from Cox’s and Bramleys grown locally. +44(0)1728 724060.

Stoke Farm Cider Ltd, Stoke Farm, Battisford, Stowmarket IP14 2NA . Apple, pear, quince juices. +44(0)1449 6112020.

Stonham Hedgerow, Hemingstone Fruit Farm, Hemingstone, Ipswich, IP6 9RJ. Apples, plus plum chutney, crabapple jelly, greengage jam using locally grown produce. Kathy Neuteboom +44(0)1449 760330 or see their website.

Suffolk Heritage Orchards, The Hall, Church Hill, Monks Eleigh, Ipswich IP7 7JQ, +44(0)1449 740478. George Hodgkinson grows old varieties of apples, greengages and plums including local vareties such as apples St Edmunds Pippin from Bury St Edmunds, and Sturmer Pippin from Sturmer near Haverhill, plus the Suffolk plum, Coe's Golden Drop. The concept is to grow rare local varieties plus varieties known to have been grown in Suffolk, that are not available to buy in the shops. The orchards, of dwarf rootstock, cover about 4.5 acres. Tree were planted in 2003/4 and more are planned for 2005/6. the fruit is for sale this Autumn at Farmers' markets, please call for more details.

Where to buy fruit trees

Botanica, Campsea Ashe, Wickham Market, Suffolk, +44(0) 1728 747113 offer a wide range of fruit trees including apples, pears, damsons, plums, cherry, mulberry, quince, medlar, crab apple and wild cherry. Also stock apple varieties with East Anglian origin. Botanica follow the Flora locale Code of Conduct for the supply of Native and Wild plants. See their website

Crown Nursery, High Street, Ufford, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 6EL, +44(0)1394 460755. Specialises in fruit trees and stocks over 100 east Anglian and heritage cultivars. They offer tastings of varieties in their apple shed between September and November – try before you buy!

Trees can be purchased from the East of England Apples and Orchards Project. Contact: treesales [at] applesandorchards. org. uk or call +44(0)1328 838403 for a catalogue of 170 varieties local to the East of England.

Eddie Krutysza (left) of Hatten’s Farm Nurseries, Metfield stocks a variety of apple and other fruit trees and can acquire more unusual varieties for individual customers to order. A new list is available. Eddie regularly attends the Apple Day at Metfield Stores, the village's community run shop, to dispense information and advice. Hatten’s Farm Nurseries, Fressingfield Road, Metfield, Harleston IP20 0LL, +44(0)1379 586325.

You can order trees mail order from a number of nurseries that stock a wide range including:
Keepers Nursery in Kent +44(0)1622 726465 or see their web-site.
Thornhayes in Devon +44(0)1884 266746 or see their web-site.

Please let us know if you know of other good fruit tree nurseries in Suffolk.