When we first moved into the village the noise of apples being dropped into buckets was, as much as Robins singing at dusk, one of the defining noises of autumn. Then the cider factory up the road stopped taking local apples and the orchard fell silent. Since when, though, inspired by traditional local cider makers like Hecks and Julian Temperley we have formed a village cider co-op. We now make an invigorating cider we called Bullbeggar, after our local spirit (every proper village in Somerset has a ghost). With Hecks’ help we bottle some for sale locally and in London, and sell the rest in the barrel at local fetes and festivals. The process starts with harvesting the apples, on an afternoon either on or close to the official Apple Day. Ern’s orchard is proper kit – a really nice mix of traditional cider varieties – so interesting to work in. The weather is aways glorious, as is the gossip and the tea. Community, local history, local food, habitat. Fantastic.
Tag: hecks
At The Bath and West Show
I had a great if knackering time at the Royal Bath and West Show last week. There were a few highlights on the stand, not least meeting Sophie Wessex, who seems genuinely interested in establishing a meadow at Bagshot Park. Hurrah! I enjoyed chatting to friends who this year included BBC Somerset’s Emma Britton, Graham Langford the Poll Dorset man, Andrew Hecks, Martin Snell our Large Black pig breeder, Bernie “The Choirboy” Perkins, and various folk from the village. I met some nice new folk too, including local herbalist Zoe Hawes (author of the excellent “Wild Drugs”) and the man from the impressive Bees Abroad. Thanks everyone for popping by. Apart from a brief visit to Orchard Pig I stayed clear of the cider tents this year, but had a lunchtime pasty and pint of Bath Ale’s Summer’s Hare – a lovely drop. As usual though the stars of the show were the animals…
Cider for the connoisseur
