Drink Up Thee Cider

In our continuing efforts to immerse ourselves in the county’s culture, we sallied forth westwards, Alan Stone’s “Somerset Cider Handbook” in hand. Like some of the product itself, the image of cider has been a bit rough over the years. A yokel dozing in a hayrick, half-emptied flagon of “scrumpy” by his side… that sort of thing. But I’m delighted to say that the West Country’s answer to wine is undergoing something of a renaissance and, in addition to the Big Boys churning the stuff out by the tankerful, there are a number of small-scale makers akin to the micro-breweries of the beer business.

So much better than its name suggests...

This revival hasn’t necessarily led to universally available top quality stuff – there is still cider out there that is so sweet it will rot your teeth and some so acidic it will rip the enamel off any teeth you may have left… But thanks to Lilley’s Cider Barn in Frome I’ve been sampling a variety of the local product and have found one that really hits the spot. Sadly it has a ridiculous name, but you can’t judge a book by its cover, so Janet’s Jungle Juice from West Croft Farm near Highbridge gets my vote. It's fruity and dry, refreshing and satisfying –  that seems to me to be the perfect combination.

So we went to meet John Harris, the producer of aforementioned Juice, and taste some at source. John is a quiet, friendly man who led us into his barn and gave us tasters of both the latest JJJ and his West Croft Dry (also recommended). He told us that (unlike some producers) he adds no sweeteners to his cider, nor does he blend them after pressing – the blending is all done in the selection of the apples. He also, encouragingly, is cutting down on the use of sulphites, the whiff of which is often the first olfactory encounter one has with a cider.

We shall definitely return to John’s farm at the bottom of Brent Knoll, but we will not rush back to Rich’s. I’d enjoyed a glass of their output at The Cornerhouse in Frome, so thought it was also worth a visit as it’s not too far from West Croft. But it’s a million miles away in terms of “the experience”. This is the cider farm as coach party destination: large car park, restaurant and a shop full of touristy knick-knacks. No tastings were on offer and the single member of staff we encountered was not particularly helpful – despite their ciders being split into “Scrumpy” (ie on draught, still and, assumedly, unpasteurised) and “Farmhouse” (pre-bottled, slightly sparkling and pasteurised), the assistant labelled them the same. Their dry scrumpy is pleasant enough, but not a patch on what John Harris is managing to produce on what I am sure is a fraction of Rich’s turnover. When it comes to cider making, small would appear to be beautiful.

PS It's a pleasure to be able to report that Frome With A View has just played host to its 1000th viewer. Now, apart from the occasional poster (whose comments are always much appreciated) I do, of course, have absolutely no idea who all these people are. I'm sure most of them have only ended up on this page because "Frome" is Lithuanian for "Porn" or some such. But, whoever and wherever you are, you are very, very welcome. Do leave a comment. If only to say how disappointed you are by the absence of naked women (or men)...