ABOVE: Kingston Black is one of the leading apple varieties used in cider production
LEFT: When visiting an orchard, make sure you pick up the windfalls!
Cornwall, once fabled for its ten-a-penny farms peddling flagons of cloudy orange wares, has seen the resurgence of strong commercial producers as transport links have increased. Dorset, seemingly so insignificant despite it’s close proximity to cider-heavyweight Somerset, is now teeming with ‘cider clubs’ and a host of strong producers to match. Somerset remains a world force in cider
LEFT: Harvested apples ready to be taken for scratching
with only the addition of yeast and sugar permitted to keep it completely natural.” This old-age tradition dates back thousands of years in the UK, however the South West became such a hub of cider production mainly thanks to the Normans, who following their conquest laid down many an orchard here in the region purely for cider manufacture. While the Romans brought the apples, the Normans brewed the cider. And while the South West has become a hub for all things cider, each individual county still retains its own personality.
production thanks to a number of incredibly successful producers, and along with a strong piece of cheddar, cider remains its hallmark as a county. Devon, a county teeming with orchards, finds a personality and tradition to rival that of its noisy neighbour. Certainly if you take a trip to Newton Abbot any day soon make sure you pay a visit to Ye Olde Cider Bar, one of very few remaining cider bars peddling only the finest in apple and pear-based wares. Named National Cider Pub of the Year by CAMRA in 2011, this little haunt embodies everything that is great about cider in the West Country. With established events such as Plymouth Beer Festival now stocking 50 to 60 ciders and perries alongside their range of ales, it is clear to see the rise in popularity of cider once more throughout
© ALAN STONE
COURTESY OF ORANGE PIPPIN FRUIT TREES
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