SOMERSET CIDER

If the piles of apples littering our roadsides this year is any indication, then it has been a bumper crop all round.

I have been having a great time scrumping, a habit left over from my childhood I guess, and cooking my socks off. Apples go so well with so many other foodstuffs.

As autumn heralds cooler temperatures, cider goes well with hearty casseroles and stews. I have in mind the one pot meals that also save on the washing up, and where the cider makes a good addition, as well as an accompaniment, particularly to chicken or pork dishes.

Following what I still refer to as the ‘cider incident’ in a very posh Cotswold restaurant, at the age of 11, I was almost put off cider for life. Hence, whilst for many years I had my own apple press, it had scant use until I donated it on permanent loan to Chard Museum, where it gets put into good service each year.

Whenever I think of Somerset, cider is often what most readily comes to mind. Apple Day, officially October 21 this year, so I feel that it would be remiss of me not to consider the merits of our local ciders.

Time for a little instruction from renowned cider maker, Julian Temperley, at Burrow Hill, along other expert respondents to my persistent enquiries. The number of local ciders is vast, so my choices are aimed at exposing readers to some of the interesting and individual offerings. Not all local cider makers bottle and sell their products through retail outlets, so look out for signs along the highways and byways to alert you to a real taste of Somerset. Many producers offer tours, usually by appointment only. The Somerset Cider Map, free to download, gives details of most cider makers in the county. It is arguable that the best bottled conditioned ciders are made from a selected blend of different cider apples, in much the same way that wine is made.

At Burrow Hill they make two exceptional bottle fermented sparkling ciders from single varieties, by the ‘Champagne Method’, Kingston Black or Stoke Red, not cheap, you get what you pay for. They also sell still cider straight from the barrel. Also look out for ciders made by the old English process of ‘keeving’, as they do at Pilton, Nr. Shepton Mallet, which results in the cider retaining more of its natural fruit character.

Perry’s, in the village of Dowlish Wake, still use the traditional rack and cloth method of cider making. They have on offer a range of ciders, stored in wooden barrels, which scoops a handful of awards each year. I particularly like some of their single variety or single orchard offerings.

Honey Pot Farm at South Petherton has available Sweet Copin as a single variety, along with bottle conditioned cider, sold direct from the farm.

Chant Cider (Naish’s) at Midsomer Norton pride themselves on producing cider as the Romans did. They are reputedly the only makers now using this chemical free, traditional, seasonal method. Hardly surprising given the family business spans almost 200 years, but bring your own containers.

A more commercial product, produced by Thatcher’s, is called “Katy”. I buy copious amounts of this because I have a cider drinking god-daughter called ....Katy.

I was fortunate enough when invited out to dinner this week to have had the opportunity to refresh my taste-buds with some Somerset Cider Apple Brandy. The maker, Julian Temperley, was the first person in the UK to gain a license to distill cider to make cider brandy. Matured for up to ten years in small oak barrels, for hardened imbibers such as myself, it’s always a favourite after-dinner option.