Independent Dorset cidermaker Purbeck Cider Company is inviting consumers to get closer to the cider-making process this September, with the return of its annual Apple Day on Saturday 12th September 2026.
People are encouraged to bring apples and pears from their own gardens to the Dorset Cider Farm, where their fruit will be pressed and fermented to become part of the 2027 People’s Choice Charity Cider.
Rather than simply buying a product with a charitable story, consumers can actively contribute to creating it – from bringing fruit to Apple Day, voting for a charity, through to enjoying the finished cider, knowing that their participation is giving back to the community supporting the people’s choice of charity.
The initiative taps into growing consumer interest in sustainability, local production and provenance, while offering independent retailers and hospitality businesses a compelling narrative to share with their customers.
At Apple Day, visitors can bring their surplus apples and pears to the farm, where it will be weighed and tokens given in exchange to use at the taproom or donate. The apples are then pressed, the juice fermented and matured before becoming the 2027 People’s Choice Charity Cider. For every litre sold, £1 will be donated to a charity selected by the local community, with visitors to this year’s Apple Day invited to offer suggestions for the charity that will benefit from the 2027 cider.
The initiative also gives consumers a tangible connection to the product. An apple picked from a family garden can ultimately become part of a cider enjoyed in a pub, festival or at home — turning an otherwise surplus crop into something with both commercial and social value.
Joe Hartle, Founder of Purbeck Cider Company, said: “We wanted People’s Choice to be something the community could genuinely feel part of. You don’t just buy the cider, you can help make it. From bringing apples along to Apple Day, to choosing the charity and eventually enjoying the finished cider, there’s a real connection between the community and what is in the glass. For us, that’s what makes it special. It’s local fruit, local people and a local cause coming together to create something that can then be enjoyed far beyond the farm.”
For the trade, People’s Choice offers more than another Dorset cider. It provides a consumer engagement story that can travel from the farm to the shelf, bar or table. Retailers and hospitality businesses stocking the cider can tell customers exactly where it came from, how the community helped create it and where their purchase is helping to make a difference.
The current People’s Choice Charity Cider is raising funds for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, with a donation generated through sales being presented at Apple Day.
Apple Day itself will combine the cider-making story with a family-friendly day out, including apple identification with a local apple expert, harvest and pressing demonstrations, orchard walks, cider tastings, live music, garden games and local food. The event is free to attend and visitors are encouraged to bring their own apples and pears to exchange.
Joe Hartle added: “Apple Day is a chance to show people that cider doesn’t just appear on a shelf. It starts with the fruit, the land and the people who grow it. We want consumers to come and experience that for themselves, and hopefully leave feeling that they’re part of the story.”
Event Information:
Apple Day 2026
Saturday 12th September 2026
10am–5pm
Dorset Cider Farm
Free Entry
Find out more about Purbeck Cider Company through their website and follow them on Instagram.
