Sustainability

Our mission is to craft exceptional Misty Moon craft cider from surplus garden and orchard apples — rescuing fruit that would otherwise go to waste, saving trees that may otherwise be felled; and using our product and business practices to support a positive environmental and social impact.

We work with local communities to gather surplus apples from apple trees in residential gardens, community orchards and orchards at risk.  By doing so, we reduce food waste, cut methane emissions, and help protect soil health.

 

Our cider not only supports biodiversity and preserves historic orchards but also raises awareness of the vital role these trees play in our ecosystems. With every bottle, we celebrate community collaboration, promote environmental stewardship, and keep the legacy of local orchards alive.

We aim to:

  • Protect local biodiversity and support ecosystems through tree and orchard preservation
  • Raise awareness amongst the community on the importance of preserving our trees and orchards
    Prevent food waste by using surplus apples that would otherwise rot.
  • Operate using circular economy and resource preservation principles to minimise environmental impact
  • Use sustainable, low-waste packaging and renewable energy in our operations wherever possible.
  • We minimise transport emissions by only picking locally and batching up our collections.

Where do our apples come from?

Our craft cider is made with the apples we collect from, or are delivered by our valued apple donors from gardens and orchards across Surrey and Hampshire.

We have also gratefully received beautiful cider apples from the National Trust Swan Barn Farm orchard, through the Copse Community Orchard Project South East and the Countryside Regeneration Trust.

We are pleased to support local events and charities; and were proud winners of the ‘Best Cider of the Festival Award’ at the Farnham Cider and Sausage Festival in 2023.


Why do we use surplus apples to make our cider?

In the UK we generate 9.5 million tonnes of food waste a year, with 70% coming from fruit and vegetables. At Misty Moon Cider, we are therefore on a mission to take surplus apples and stop them rotting in the nation’s gardens, instead crafting them into crispy delicious cider.

This not only prevents the apples being wasted, it also reduces methane emissions which would be created during the rotting process. The apple trees themselves sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

We give all our apple pomace (that is produced through the apple pressing process) to the Hairy Pig Company in Guildford, to be enjoyed by their free range pigs, so nothing goes to waste.

It feels great to be saving trees, stopping waste and ending up with a brilliant brew at the end of the day

Dave Caygill