Pembrokeshire's Apple Juicing Service got away to a flyer last week as the first apples of the 2023 season came in, three weeks earlier than previous years.

"We've been running the juicing service since 2014," said Michael Jones, one of the Clynfyw juicers, 'and it’s grown year-on-year.

"Last year we made over 11,000 bottles for over 150 different tree owners and now it has really become an epic adventure, and by the end of October none of us ever want to see another apple again!

"But by the next autumn we're ready and keen to get back to the juicers for another season."

West Wales imports thousands of gallons of apple juice each year, while many people have their own trees dropping fruit which goes to waste.

"There are more community resilience schemes like this starting up all the time," said Clynfyw's manager, Jim Bowen.

'With the changing climate and related food insecurity, the more schemes like this there are, the better it is for all of us.

"It's interesting how early the apples are this year. The knock-on effect of the record-breaking temperatures last year, and then the floods of this year really show us how fragile our food supplies can be.

"With the cost of living crisis too, the more we can use free food productively, the better it is for everyone."

Clynfyw has 250 trees and sells apple juice in many local shops, while other growers bring apples which they use themselves, give away as gifts and sell to shops in their locality.

People come from as far away as Brecon to use the service.

"It is really good," said Hywel Davies who lives in supported tenancy at Clynfyw and is involved in the juicing process too.

"We like helping people here and the money Clynfyw makes goes towards funding shipping containers full of wheelchairs to South Africa and Kenya, which means we are helping people miles away too."