‘Acky’ Apple Juice 

Over October and November 2025, we completed a small but impactful project that fitted so well with the importance we place on sustainability and caring for our planet. We realised that Ackworth School's own apples had not been used for almost sixty years and had mostly gone to waste on the ground, feeding just the birds and a few members of staff living on site who might make the odd apple pie. So we did something about it! 

There are six apple trees in Great Gardens. When we realised the apples were going to waste, they were already starting to fall. Even though we had missed some of this year’s crop, our volunteers from staff, senior school pupils (including members of the biosustainability club) and Old Scholars picked 17 boxes. Three boxes went to the kitchens, some of which produced the apple crumble that fed us on Founders Day. The surplus in the kitchens were used by Steve Evans, our Catering Manager, to make Ackworth apple chutney – it was delicious! 

But the majority of the apples, 14 boxes, were delivered to Yorkshire Orchards [hyperlink to http://yorkshireorchards.co.uk/], near Pocklington, where they were pressed, bottled and pasteurised. Here [link to YouTube video to follow 12.02.26] you can see Alec, the owner of Yorkshire Orchards, take us on a tour of the production process. Our apples produced 138 bottles to be sold for a small profit going towards the school's sustainability fund and supporting further pupil activities. 

The bottles each have one of two fantastic labels, chosen as winners from a design competition for Coram pupils during Founders’ Day week. Our winners received a bottle of apple juice with their own label on, plus knowing that so many people would be admiring their artwork. Our congratulations went to both of them, and also to the many others with a highly commended drawing. 

The apple juice can be ordered below and will also be served during the Easter Gathering weekend – particularly suitable when this year’s Ackworth Old Scholars President is the aptly-named Trudy Seed, seen here helping with the apple-picking!