Learn from award-winning cider makers

Claire and Mike make cider the traditional way, working with the seasons and looking after the orchards that grow the fruit. Over the weekend you’ll discover how heritage apple varieties shape the flavour of a cider, how a traditional orchard is cared for and why that matters for wildlife, and how apples are pressed, fermented and blended. You’ll also learn how to pair cider with food, from the people who do it every day.

Why this weekend feels so good

This is a retreat for slowing down and doing something real with your hands. You’ll pick, press and preserve, and you’ll make something you can keep. The food is made with care. Tara cooks the Friday dinner and the other meals, with menus inspired by Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi and Anna Jones. Saturday’s highlight is a bespoke dinner by chef Gerald Pospichil, who recently returned to Devon from the Michelin-listed Lara in Vienna, celebrating the county’s farms and orchards, with every course paired with Rull Orchard cider. In between, you can wander the historic gardens and woodland, or simply enjoy the fireside. The atmosphere is gentle and welcoming, with no pressure and no experience required, so beginners and experienced cider lovers learn side by side.

Your weekend

(Timings may shift with the weather.)

Friday 6 November. Arrive from 4pm and settle in. At 6.30pm, Claire and Tara welcome you with a talk and cider tasting, followed by a three-course dinner at 7.30pm.

Saturday 7 November. After breakfast at 8.30am, head out at 10am for apple picking and an orchard visit, then enjoy lunch at Rull Orchard at 1pm. At 2pm it’s hands-on cider making with Claire and Mike. You return to Ashley Court by 6pm, ready for a four-course paired dinner at 7.30pm. Sit down to a bespoke four-course vegatarian dinner by chef Gerald Pospichil, a contemporary celebration of Devon’s agricultural heritage, paired with Rull Orchard ciders.

Sunday 8 November. After breakfast at 9am, Claire and Tara lead a pickling and preserving session. Lunch follows at 1pm, and the weekend ends by 3pm. Don’t forget to take your cider and pickles home with you.

What’s included

Two nights’ accommodation at Ashley Court, two dinners, two breakfasts and two lunches, the orchard visit and apple picking, hands-on cider making, tastings of Devon cider and perry, the pickling and preserving session, and your own cider and pickles to take home.

Meet your hosts

Claire is co-founder of Rull Orchard, the award-winning Devon cidery behind the weekend. She is passionate about sustainable orcharding and about pairing their ciders with equally delicious food.

Mike is co-founder of Rull Orchard. As lead cider maker he’ll guide you through the process of cider making.

Tara cooks the weekend’s seasonal meals and has historic connections to the celebrated cookery writer Elizabeth David. Both hosts are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier, the international organisation of women leaders in food, drink and hospitality.

Gerald Pospichil has recently returned to Devon after cooking at Lara, the esteemed vegan restaurant in Vienna that is included in the Michelin Guide 2026 and owned by the recently named eighth vegan Michelin-starred chef in the world. His menus centre on locally sourced, seasonal produce, turned into remarkable dishes. For Saturday night he is creating a bespoke four-course dinner, paired with Rull Orchard ciders, as a contemporary celebration of Devon’s rich agricultural heritage.

Where you’ll stay

Ashley Court has just six bedrooms, so places are genuinely limited. You can choose from twin, double and single rooms, including the Oak Room with its own en-suite

Ready to join us?

Apples are only ready once a year, and there are only 10 places. Spend a weekend learning from award-winning cider makers in one of Devon’s loveliest country houses.

Tara and Claire.

Both Tara and Claire have recently been accepted as members of the esteemed international food organisation, Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries.  Membership is highly diversified and reflects the fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality.

Tara has historic connections to the esteemed cookery writer,  Elizabeth David, and cooks inspirational meals influenced by such diverse food writers as Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Anna Jones. 

Claire is co-founder of Rull Orchard, and prides herself on pairing their delicious ciders with equally delicious foods.