Jugs, Jars, and Mugs

In the absence of any real news at the moment, I've decided to add a monthly pic from my small collection of stoneware cider jars. Resisting suggestions to call this feature 'Jugs of the Month', I'll be documenting the collection with a few notes on the producer where known.

These jars have been collected from junk and charity shops, car boots, and occasionally the antiques trade, though to describe any of these relatively modern pieces of memorabilia as antique would be misleading. Most date from the 60's/70's onwards, and some can still be bought new from the more touristy cider farms. I particularly like the jars made by Pearsons of Chesterfield, which have a more weighty 'classic' look than the more modern pottery versions. None have cost me more than a few pounds, and some, such as the Creedy Vintage Cider jars, are very common indeed.

So here's a brace of jars from the Godshill Cider Co, a thriving 30 year old cider business originally based in the picture postcard village of Godshill, Isle of Wight. Godshill produce a reasonably traditional cider at the Island's Ventnor Brewery, selling much of it through their two shops at Godshill and Shanklin. Considering how hard it is to find Godshill cider off the island, there are a surprisingly high number of these jars available secondhand. Presumably every visitor to the island must have brought one back, a rather expensive taster of Godshill's farmhouse cider. I have several more jars from Godshill in assorted designs which I may add here at a later date.