Mobile Apple Pressing Days

Home orchard owners, allotment and community groups, schools, pubs and farm owners with surplus apples.

A fee per kilo of apples or per litre of juice, or a flat fee per pressing day, sometimes with a share of juice or bottles sold on the side.

• Safe handling of machinery
• Organising dates, bookings and routes
• Friendly, patient with groups

• Register as a food business with your local council and check hygiene rules for mobile work
• Public liability insurance, plus cover for your equipment and for towing if relevant
• Turning customers' juice into cider for sale may bring alcohol duty and licensing rules, so check with HMRC
• Machinery safety and manual handling of heavy fruit crates
• Work is concentrated into autumn, so plan other income for the rest of the year

Startup costs are typically around £3,000 to £12,000, depending on the press and scratter you choose, and whether you use a trailer or van. Insurance and towing needs can also affect the total, so treat this as an estimate.

Monthly revenue is typically around £600 to £3,000, depending on how many pressing days you book and how large your groups are. Work is concentrated into autumn, so plan other income for the rest of the year.

Check food business registration with your local council and hygiene rules for mobile work. Also check public liability and equipment insurance, towing cover, machinery safety, manual handling, and whether HMRC alcohol duty and licensing apply if juice becomes cider for sale.