OSTLERS ORIGINS
Growing Up With Our Roots in Apples
Meet the Family
Ostlers is a family run business. We pride ourselves on being the original British Cider Vinegar with “The Mother” to supply the health food market.
Peter Hartnoll pictured on the right.
Ostlers Cider Mill History
Ostlers Cider Mill has a rich history that dates back to 1987, when Peter Hartnoll purchased four acres of land in Goodleigh, North Devon. With a vision for quality, he planted a selection of cider apple trees, choosing Mitchelins, Browns, and Debretts—premium varieties renowned for producing some of the finest ciders.
Initially, Ostlers was purely a cider mill, but a happy accident led to the creation of what would become our award-winning product. One day, a lid blew off a tank, turning the cider into vinegar. At that time, Peter was suffering with arthritis, relying heavily on painkillers and a wheelchair to get about. A friend pointed out that cider vinegar is an ancient Roman remedy for arthritis. Peter decided to try it, and within weeks, he was off his painkillers and soon after, out of his wheelchair entirely.
Just like that, Peter discovered the powerful health benefits of raw, organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) with ‘the mother’. Ostlers became the first in Britain to sell this unique vinegar.
By 2009, the growing demands of a busy cider mill became a little too much for Peter to handle alone. His daughter, Becci, and her two children moved over from Wales to give him a helping hand. Becci became a partner with her father, living at the mill, while Peter moved to Bideford to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
After Peter’s passing in 2020, Becci took full ownership of the mill. Since then, she has used her passion and drive to transform Ostlers into an eco-friendly, community-focused business. She has introduced a refill and reuse scheme, encouraging customers to return their containers for a discount on their next purchase, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
Today, Ostlers stands as a testament to family legacy, innovation, and sustainable practices. We continue to produce high-quality apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’, maintaining the traditions Peter started while embracing new, eco-friendly initiatives.
Awards & Achievements
Here at Ostlers we’ve received multiple awards over the years – most notably, at The Houses Of Parliament, London, from the Green Apple Organisation for ‘Environmental Best Practice’!
We have also won a DEBI Environment Business Award ‘Made In Devon’, and were a finalist in the ‘Sustainable Ethos’ category, something we’re very proud of.
We’ve been recognised year on year by the ‘Taste of the West’ (TOTW) award. TOTW is the largest independent regional food group in the UK, so we’re thrilled that our cider vinegar has been recognised so consistently!
Ostlers was converted to Organic with the Organic Farmers and Growers in 2014, and has been certified Organic every year since, so you know you’re getting the best quality cider we can produce.
We put our success in the cider vinegar world down to an old family recipe, a special blend of Devonshire apples, and being one of the few rare orchards where the whole process is completed naturally. It’s a constant process of tasting, blending, and checking fermentation quality.
Today, we have a very busy online presence with large volumes being sold through our website, eBay shop, and Amazon. Additionally, wholesalers distribute our vinegar throughout the whole of the U.K!
Over the years we’ve had many renowned chefs and celebrities use our vinegar. Emily Watkins used it in her starter which got her through to the final round in BBC 2’s Great British Menus, The Ethicurean used it in their bestselling cookbook, and Liam Gallagher was even spotted using it in his daily routine in a BBC documentary!
Sustainable practices & Volunteering
Ostlers is a 14-acre, completely off-grid Cider Mill set in the stunning North Devon countryside. Our main source of energy is from solar, plus wood from the orchard & woodland for the log burners to keep us toasty & maintain hot water, especially during winter!
Since 2019 we’ve been a member of the WWOOF community, and now Ostlers is run as a sustainable community farm. We try to be as self-sufficient as possible by growing plenty of veg in outside beds and polytunnels. We also keep chickens that provide us with great free-range eggs!
We have 3 acres of woodland here in total, which we are increasing and replanting. Unfortunately, we have lost many trees to Ash Dieback, which we are busy removing with the help of our pony Bob!
None of this will go to waste as it will be broken down and used in the log burners. We’ll also be using it to build here along with other recycled materials that we source locally, to do as much as we can to be eco-friendly & sustainable. Trying to do our bit at reducing our impact as the climate continues to be put under immense pressure from emissions.
If you’d like to volunteer as Ostlers feel free to check us out on the WWOOF website here.
7 apple cider vinegar benefits, backed by science
Look up ‘apple cider vinegar benefits’, and you will likely find a vast array of claims, from aiding weight loss and lowering cholesterol to boosting skin health. There are books entirely devoted to its advocated benefits, health bloggers hailing its wonders, and – in true superfood fashion – it has even recently become the flavouring of a healthy popcorn. Click HERE to read more…
17 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Health and Wellness
Apple cider vinegar, commonly denoted as ACV, has received a lot of hype as a miracle home remedy for all kinds of ailments, from allergies to arthritis. While a lot of conclusive research needs to be done, there are all kinds of ACV tricks you can try for your home and wellness. Click HERE to read more…
Top 5 benefits of apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the sugars from apples which turns them into acetic acid – the active ingredient in vinegar. In the shops you may see apple cider vinegar labelled as ‘filtered’ (a clear liquid), or unfiltered – the latter containing something known as ‘mother’. This means there are proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria present, and gives this type of vinegar a cloudy appearance. Click HERE to read more…