Earlier this month we invited the team from Naked Foodies to our Cheltenham bar and shop to join our first Cidery Tour of the year. They kindly featured us in their recent edition of the Naked Foodies magazine. The full article is available to read on their website but we wanted to highlight some of our favorite parts for our readers...
'Because of the prominent apple and spice flavours throughout the ciders, it makes them exciting to pair with not only cheeses, but we dive into conversation about pork belly, Christmas cake, oh the recipes are endless.'
'I make my way to the rustic looking cider shop. I’m very quicky met by a young man who starts going into great detail on the various varieties available, pairings and occasion. What’s piqued my interest however is the ability to pair the cider.Not something that has ever crossed my mind, but definitely something I want to explore.'
'The couple (Ivor & Susie Dunkerton) milled and pressed ancient, unsprayed varieties of cider apples such as Foxwhelp, Brown Snout and Frequin Rouge, all picked separately in small quantities, from a museum orchard along the lane at Broxwood and other local farms. This allowed them to understand the individual characteristics of the various varieties. Then the juice bubbled through the winter as it fermented to become cider the following spring to be sold.'
'Next up, Alistair walks us around to where the magic happens. His passion, knowledge and excitement for the industry is faultless.'
'The similarities to winemaking are even more apparent when it comes to this stage. Both cidermakers and winemakers will be aiming to achieve a particular flavour profile for their product, and to achieve this they take the time to trial and taste a huge amount of liquid. Expertise, often built up over many years, is employed to decide which batches and barrels would blend together to create the ideal taste. Luckily Dunkerton’s has the loyal and expert advice of Robert West. Robert is world renown for his ability and expertise in cidermaking and tasting.'
'Because of the prominent apple and spice flavours throughout the ciders, it makes them exciting to pair with not only cheeses, but we dive into conversation about pork belly, Christmas cake, oh the recipes are endless.'
Read about their full tour experience here.
We are running our Cheltenham Cidery tours every weekend. Hear about our history and how we craft our organic cider from bud to bottle on one of our guided tours and tastings! See where we press, ferment, hand blend and bottle our award-winning cider before finishing off your tour with a fully tutored cheese and cider tasting. Enjoy samples of organic cheese, artisan chutneys, and freshly baked organic bread, as you discover how our cider pairs perfectly with different flavours.
