If you’ve ever sipped on a bottle of Bensons apple juice and wondered where that crisp, fresh flavour comes from — you’re in the right place. Let us take you behind the scenes to our orchards in the heart of the Cotswolds, where the magic happens. Spoiler: it involves a lot of patience, muddy boots, and some very happy trees.
It All Starts With a Tree (and a Whole Lot of Love)
At Bensons, we believe good things take time. That’s especially true when it comes to apple trees. When we plant a new tree, we don’t expect apples right away — in fact, it can take up to five years before it bears fruit. But we’re in no rush. We’re in this for the long haul.
Each tree is planted with care, spaced just right so it has room to grow, breathe, and eventually burst with juicy apples. We choose varieties suited to the British climate (and perfect for juice!), and we plant them in our rich Cotswold soil — known for giving fruit that full-bodied flavour you can taste in every bottle.
Winter Pruning: Preparing for the Season Ahead
Every winter, when the leaves have fallen and the trees are having a well-earned rest, our team gets to work. Pruning may look like we’re cutting back — and we are — but it’s all for the greater good. It gives each tree a fresh, clean structure for spring and beyond.
Pruning helps in three major ways:
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Sunlight: More light reaches every branch, helping fruit ripen evenly.
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Airflow: Better circulation keeps trees healthy and disease-free.
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Growth: Removing excess branches means more energy for juicy apples.
It’s simple: less mess, more apples.
Why We Wait (and Why It’s Worth It)
Patience is part of the process. We’re not interested in shortcuts or quick wins. Instead, we focus on long-term care and natural cycles. When autumn arrives and it’s time to harvest, we know the apples we pick have had the full benefit of a year’s care and attention.
That’s the Bensons difference — and it’s what makes our apple juice so naturally delicious.
The Taste of the Cotswolds in Every Sip
All our juices are made right here in the Cotswolds using British apples (often grown just a few muddy footsteps from the press). From tree to bottle, we’re hands-on every step of the way. It’s how we keep things fresh, local, and full of flavour.
So next time you open a bottle of Bensons apple juice, know you’re drinking more than just juice. You’re tasting years of care, a whole lot of orchard wisdom, and the very best of British fruit farming — grown slow, pressed fresh, and proudly made in the Cotswolds.