Memory

One of my most significant memories was at home – at Boxford (Suffolk) Fruit Farms in 1969 when my parents, Bill and Devora Peake, started making apple juice from our delicious Suffolk apples. Production of the well-known Copella brand began from a small fruit press on our kitchen table! Few know how it got its name.

We all agreed that it should start with COP after Cox’s Orange Pippin. Our parents wanted to use one of their daughters’ names too. Sitting round the lunch table one day, we tried out all the names - should it be COPana after Susanna, or COPara after Tamara, or COPella after Carmella?

Copella seemed to have the right ring to it and that’s how the brand got its name. I have always been proud and honoured to have my name associated with this most delicious, natural juice.

Landmark

Suffolk is a fairly flat county but we are blessed with undulating hilly areas in the Dedham and Stour Valley AONB – the home of Stoke by Nayland’s stunning SbN Resort and its two championship 18-hole golf courses.

This is a beautiful part of Suffolk, where golfers and leisure seekers are able to enjoy one of Suffolk’s most lovely landscapes and panoramas. My favourite Suffolk walk is across the gentle hills around the SbN Resort golf courses and orchards. I also love playing golf, so either way, I get the best of both worlds.

Pub

My father loved sailing and boats, and some of our best Suffolk days out have been boating and watching birdlife – hiring a boat from the River Stour Trust along the Stour valley from Sudbury to the Henny Swan – a great pub to stop off for lunch.

Beach

One of my favourite beaches is at Walberswick which, although quite stony, is backed by sheltering sand dunes, has natural beauty and is very unspoilt for lovely walks and a weekend away at the comfortable Bell Inn.

Town/Village

Of course, no itinerary would be complete without a day’s outing to Sutton Hoo – the jewel in the crown of Suffolk - with its fascinating history and treasures. And Snape Maltings just nearby for wonderful concerts.

However, the town that is most remarkable and which stands out the most in my Suffolk treasure chest is Bury St Edmunds, and particularly the Cathedral, where, as a young cellist in the West Suffolk Youth Orchestra, we played many memorable concerts.

Export

Martyn Booth’s handcrafted guitars – made in Little Cornard near Sudbury. Martyn is a perfectionist and his classic iconic, unique guitars are exported and played by some of the most famous musicians and artists around the world, including John Etheridge, and Graham Coxon.

My personal interest in this is that my husband, Daniel Meyer – a hobbyist singer songwriter - also plays a beautiful Martyn Booth guitar.

Shop

Where better than our Pippin shop at the SbN Resort, where we specialise in local produce and in particular from our own fruit farms – apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and asparagus, when in season? All fresh and delicious! Pippin also stocks our own new organic “GRO” fertiliser.