HEALEYS CYDER FARM REVIEW
Who doesn’t love a good cider? Well, when we were in Cornwall we found THE best cider I’ve ever tasted! Healeys Cyder Farm was just around the corner from Trickys Hotel so of course we went to check it out.
See the video below
At first I was quite worried, thinking it would be an old farm with bad disabled access. However, I was amazed by the modern design and impressive accessibility.
As we entered the reception the floor was flat and smooth - easy to roll on. There was a lift in the corner which took us to see the production line from above - again easy flat service. It was great to see how all of the cider is packaged and produced, unfortunately the production line was not running on the day we went but it was still impressive to see.
We then spotted another feature which was not disabled friendly but it was not a major feature of the tour. It was a large vat that you could walk around via steps, as an automated voice explained some of the cider making process. I was not disappointed that this element was disabled friendly, it was a shame but not something that ruined or impacted the overall experience.
We then headed back down to see the farm and cyder shop. This is where things got a bit more difficult. The ground was cobbled and difficult to smoothly push the wheelchair over, so Gina got creative and flipped me onto the back wheels. It wasn’t impossible to get over the cobbles but not easy with a wheelchair, however, once across the cobbles there was a ramp up to the shop.
The shop had great wooden flooring that was really easy to push the wheelchair around, as well as being quite open plan so going in between aisles was easy. At the back of the shop was the tasting bar which was brilliant the guys behind the bar were really kind and friendly, we tried a few different styles learning a lot about how the cider is made and the other styles of drinks they make.
There was a small lip on the door frame getting into the shop but other than that the access was brilliant.
Then it was back across the cobbles to a courtyard and farm area. If you could make it across the cobbled courtyard, the farm was all flat surface and easy to wind around to see the horses, pigs and goats.
On the nearer side of the courtyard was a gorgeous cafe that served delicious food, drinks and cakes. We stopped for a cheeky cake and coffee, sat next to a roaring chimney fire which kept us very warm - almost too warm. There is flat access to the cafe around the side of the building - nearest to the main entrance so not to many cobbles to tackle!
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Finally the toilets were at the main entrance of the farm and were a reasonable size. One pet peeve of mine is having a baby change in the disabled toilet, I believe they can be changed in the normal toilets when the disabled toilet should be dedicated for those who need it most. However, it isn’t a major issue in the long run and the toilet was still spacious even with the baby change.
And that about concludes the trip. There was the option to do the tractor tour with disability access and you could also walk around the orchard yourselves although this is something we opted out of. The paths around the orchard may have been difficult with a wheelchair as they were not reinforced, but they didn’t look too rough if you did want to attempt it. Also worth mentioning is the disabled parking - there is a few bays by the entrance and there is some spaces with large hazard spaces beside them, despite not being officially marked as a disabled bay, meaning there is enough room to remove equipment.
So if you’re heading to Cornwall, Healeys Cyder Farm is definitely worth a visit even just to buy a crate load of their delicious drink!