Checkley Brook Cyder on Countrywise

It's been just under a week since Checkley Brook Cyder was on ITV's Countrywise Kitchen. Apart from the nervous anticipation I quite enjoyed watching. Fortunately we were only on for three minutes or so so it wasn't too excruciating. People have been taking the mike out of my accent; I was trying to sound posh - i.e. not swear on prime time TV. Anyway it was good to see more hits on the website - though no sales have materialised yet. Oh well if it had been too popular I probably wouldn't have enough for demand supplying three pubs already. A big thanks to all the Countrywise crew for making it happen.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

cyder on TV

Another social media advert for my fifteen minutes of fame (ti'll only
be a couple really). Checkley Brook on TV, woo! yay! Watch me trying to
be serious and not swearing. Wonderful cameo rolls for Simon Bates (le
Grand Fromager himself), Sarah tea maker par excellence and Hazel in a
wheelbarrow.
...


http://bit.ly/fliHVX

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Yes we are going to on TV on ITV's Countrywise programme on the 10 Dec at 8:00pm. They came over and filmed us picking apples and making cyder in October. And what fun it was too. They will also be cooking some Goucestershire Old Spot pork with our cyder too. They showed quite a lot of interest in my Dad's book 'The History and Virtues of Cyder' which was republished this year. so hopefully it might sell a few copies over the xmas period.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder poem

The wine they drink in Paradise
They make in Haute Lorraine;
God brought it burning from the sod
To be a sign and signal rod
That they that drink the blood of God
Shall never thirst again.
The wine they praise in Paradise
They make in Ponterey,
The purple wine of Paradise,
But we have better at the price;
It's wine they praise in Paradise,
It's cider that they pray.
The wine they want in Paradise
They find in Plodder's End,
The apple wine of Hereford,
Of Hafod Hill and Hereford,
Where woods went down to Hereford,
And there I had a friend.
The soft feet of the blessed go
In the soft western vales,
The road of the silent saints accord,
The road from heaven to Hereford,
Where the apple wood of Hereford
Goes all the way to Wales.

G. K. Chesterton


Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

End of the season at Checkley Brook

Well another cyder making season over for Checkley Brook Cyder. After nine days of milling washing and pressing cyder apples, just under 5000 litres of apple juice is in the fermenting bins awaiting natures magic of wild yeast fermentation. We installed my mother's statue of Bacchus in place to overlook and bless the proceeding so hopefully it'll be a vintage year. Thanks again to all who came to help. Dabinett, Michelin, Broxwood Foxwhelp, White Norman, White Beech, Yarlington Mill, Nehou, Styre and some Bramleys were all used this year. An improved water supply (hose from house:-)) for washing the apples and equipment proved to save much labour this season. A few more tweeks to do yet though.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Preparations for the autumn's cyder making

Well I think all the preparations are complete for the next 10 days of washing, milling and pressing those cyder apples. I had a second juice collection tray fabricated so we can do 'double pressing' on a single press Voran press. Thats saves a few grand on upgrading! The usual suspects are coming along to help and we are pleased to have Ian coming all the way down from Aberdeen to help this year. The years harvest is large and we hope to press 8 tons or so and to aim for 4500-5000 litres. The process has never been so efficient with the new water supply so all looks good. We are taking down my mother statue of Bacchus, the god of merriment, so let us hope he smiles on the whole preceeding!


Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Finding outlets for cyder

Sometimes finding outlets for cyder as a small scale producer is difficult. With no economies of scale it is hard to compete with the larger players in the industry. Many samll scale producers of cyder or beer are also unwilling or unable to deal with supermarkets who are notoriously ruthless in their dealings. Specialist off licences are few and far between. So when someone like Real Beer Box want to take your produce it can be as real lift. This could well be the future for the growing number of small scale producers denied access to public in their local tied pubs. Good on you chaps!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Big Apple Autumntime event in Much Marcle

Had a great day out at the Big Apple Autumntime event in Much Marcle identified a couple of apple trees. Firstly as white Norman above.
The second was a tree I reclaimed from an overgrown hedge, it was a Yarlington Mill, great for blending with the other trees in the orchard!



Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Checkley Brook Cyder to appears on ITV's Countrywise

Many thanks to the Countrywise team from ITV who came out to do some filming at our Cyder orchard. The weather was very good allowing for some lovely shots in the burgeoning orchard. We should be on a show going out in December. We will let you know nearer the date. Managed to make 800 litres of cyder too that weekend. Took a sample to the Crown Inn Woolhope, a great food and cyder pub. Let's hope they take it!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Apple day in Cambridge

Apple day in Cambridge today. 60 gallons of juice pressed for cider round at Phil and Jane Corrigan's. All the fruit is collected locally which would otherwise have rotted on the ground. This event's has been going for a few years now and could easily outgrow it setting in Phil and Jane's back garden. A great day for the kids, with fresh as can be apple juice to drink and last year's cider for the parents. There ar lots of these events springing up now. Could these be considered part of Camerons big society? ;-)

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

The History and Virtues of Cyder republished

Nearly thirty years ago my father R.K. French wrote a book 'The History and Virtues of Cyder'. This book has inspired many cyder makers over the years. Written when cyder was possibly at it's lowest ebb, the book is a plea for the return to real cyder as opposed to 'white cider' - the carbonated chemical soup the bain of many a fifteen year old getting drunk on a park bench. Well from my generation anyway. Anyway this awesome book has been republished. Buy it! Please.

http://bit.ly/aRQfoG

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder orchard maintenance - hedging and dead wooding

Been doing lots of orchard maintenance, recently. Cutting down an over grown hedge. Hawthorn ARRGGGHhh! Nasty spiky stuff. it is important to let light and air into your cyder orchard. This stops the cyder apples rotting on the trees and increases yields. This is also why it is important to deadwood the cyder apple trees too. Managed to manage 200 litres of cyder too from the early windfalls, mainly the Broxwood Foxwhelp apples as these ripen the earliest out of any of the trees we have. Thanks to Mark the Fireman who came out to help me make cyder. Always good to meet another cyder enthusiast!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Pommeau - a taste of Brittany

I was drinking Pommeau de Breatagne last night with a Breton lad I know. It's 17% vol and made from apple brandy and reworked pommace from cyder making. It comes from a place called Lannion. It is dark rich and seriously appley YUM! YUM!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder at the Quy Mill Festival

Just spent a lovely day at the Quy Mill Kestival Quy Mill Festival selling my bottled cyder from a stall for the first time. It was a great experience and I met loads of lovely people including Tony from My Chocolate Explosion. Got lots of good adive from fellow stall holders and good feedback for the cyder. If people are aware it is dry before they drink it - it goes down well. It is too dry for many members of the public though. Will certainly love to go next year when the event will be bigger.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder at specialist off licence

The specialist off licence Bacchanalia in Mill Road Cambridge will be the first to stock our bottled cyder. Hurrah! Ed the manager obviously knows his stuff. first delivery tomorrow!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

The Quy Mill fair

Come to the Quy Mill Festival at the Cambridge Quy Mill Hotel
& Country Inn this coming bank holday Monday. http://bit.ly/9gnlR3 There will be plenty to do and I will be selling my cyder on a stall. The organisers expect a bout a thousand people. Live music and hog roast too!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder bottled!

Just finished my first bottling run for our cyder. Thanks to Mark from Moonshine Breweries and the chaps from Iceni for the help and advice they gave me on this particular journey.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Fordham Festival

The Fordham Music Festival starts tomorrow. Lots of great music and great cyder including our own. http://bit.ly/b0It8P Come down and have some fun.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

cyder bottling equipment in the post!

Awaiting delivery of my first consignment of 500ml bottles and bottling equipment. This will allow me to sell to private individuals and to off licenses and of course open my online shop! How exciting!!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Our cyder at the Hereford Beer Fest Hurrah!

Our cyder makes it's first appearance at the Hereford beer fest Beer on the Wye this weekend. I shall be judging a perry competition too! Perks of the job I suppose. I am quite honoured, should be a laugh in a beautiful setting on the Wye river.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Fordham Festival

Our cyder will be sold at the Fordham Music Festival this year. This is a small well organised festival with lots of great music (Simple Minds hurrah!) and things to do, it is also child friendly. Very cheap for the entertainment provided and free camping too. Checkout their website Fordham Music Festival. They are supporting local mental health charities, so you will be having fun in a good cause.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Champagne style cyder

Last autumn's cyder has finally finished fermenting. So we were over bottling up about 400 bottles to referment in bottles producing a Champagne style cyder, much loved in the sixteenth century. We add a spoon full of sugar to prime each bottle, the cyder is then added and the bottle corked and wired. It is left for a year. Next year we will be drinking wonderful naturally fizzy strong cyder. We aim to produce a commercial version in a couple of years.

Champagne style Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder in the sun 2

Cyder in the sun. The warmer weather has brought out the cyder drinkers. A new real pub in Cambridge has started selling our cyder. The Devonshire Arms in Cambridge offers a large range of local beers from the Milton Brewery. A steadily growing brewery which now at last has a pub in Cambridge, the brewery's local town. Their beers are superb as is the service of Don the bar manager.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cider an Perry trials Putley

Cyder competition. Just returned back from Herefordshire where we attended the blossomtime cider and perry trials in Putley run by those lovely people from The Big Apple. We didn't win any prizes but got loads of helpful advice about the late fermentation of our cyder due to the long winter. We met loads of lovely people too. And drank lots of cider and perry. I do mean lots!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder in the sun

Cyder in the sun. Well the good weather we have been having has certainly increased demand for our cyder in the real ale pubs in Cambridge. The cambridge Blue, The Empress and the Kingston Arms all had some similtaneously and it's only april! Can't wait for the new cyder batch to be ready. The cyder wil be tested in a couple of weeks and we hope to have a good one for the blossomtime cider and perry trials at the beginning of May.


Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Checkley Brook Cyder at the Kngston Arms

If anyone in the Cambridge area fancies a pint of cider this weekend go to the Kingston Arms off Mill Road for a pint of Checkley Brook's Roger's Jolly or Dabinett. New stock delivered.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

For anybody in the Cambridge area. Dave at the Empress (Thoday Street) is having a beer festival this easter weekend. He always gets in a good selection of beers and has a hog roast or something similar. He is, of course, selling Checkley Brook Cider. He has a barrel of Roger's Jolly and one of Dabinnet. Pop along to this friendly Cambridge pub.

Herefordshire Cider at Checkley Brook

Setting social media for cyder

Setting up all my social media to connect together, will it work?

checkley-brook-cyder2

checkley-brook-cider2
Originally uploaded by edmundfrench

Test post

British winter affects cyder

We all know how long and cold the British winter has been this year. This cold weather has slowed the fermentation of our cyder down considerably. At the begining of March some of the cyder was still sweet to the taste; there is obviously at lot of sugar left to ferment. The cyder will be checked again at the beginning of April. This may mean the cyder is ready a month or so later than last year. We had an order for a couple of beers festivals recently, one at The Empress, Cambridge and another at a beer festival in Newcastle (this is the furthest our cyder has traveled!).