A Toast to our Trees!

As winter rolls around and our fruit trees fall dormant once again, we are reminded of our orchard heritage. For centuries, especially in the South-West of England, communities would gather in their orchard for the Wassail. This ceremony promotes the health of the trees and encourages a bountiful harvest!

In order to scare away evil spirits and to invigorate the trees, those celebrating the Wassail would sing, play music, bang pots and pans, and generally make as much noise as possible! As with many traditions, food and drink also form a significant part of the festivities – a wassail bowl would be shared about, and the liquid flung at the trees. Wassail is essentially a hot, mulled cider – perfect for those long winter evenings!