Hereford - A Mini-Guide

Perry is still very much on-trend in this house. As indeed cider would be if I could just pull my finger out and get some of the Rockingham Forest 2016 vintage bottled-up. Tedious domestic circumstances have conspired against any ciderhouse work recently, so I've been relying on 'guest' ciders and perries from near and far to see me through, more of which later. But enough of this dull domesticity, I felt a mini-break in the heart of ciderland was long overdue. So where exactly is the heart of ciderland?

Well for one week only, the Nottingham Beer, Cider & Perry Festival is where it's at, everyone knows that! But despite England and Wales having a truly world-class reputation for traditional cider and perry, particularly in its current 'revived' state, it's my experience that no 'one' place truly fulfils the role as a 'centre of excellence' for actually drinking the stuff. I think I know this because I've been looking long and hard at the subject for the best part of 40 years. In that time I've come across some truly excellent pubs that specialise in cider and perry, a good few producers of the drink that welcome visitors, and a handful of museums with good local displays on the subject. But it's all rather dispersed, the majority of pubs even in the west country and three counties have either no truly crafted cider or perry on the bar, or at best a token national 'brand' that's hardly worth travelling for.

Of all the towns in England and Wales, Hereford might be regarded as something of a shoe-in for a cider and perry based mini-break. It's certainly not always been this way. I've been holidaying in Hereford for 30 years or more, and I can say with some qualification that the choice on offer has often been unbelievably poor for a city that prides itself on being at the centre of an orchard county, a county literally steeped in the traditions of cider and perry making. So have things improved in 2019? Well, yes and no...

I've found in recent years that whilst there's certainly a better choice on offer, with plenty of new and enthusiastic producers in the county, there are still precious few places you can actually drink their fine produce in. And whilst it might be argued that as far as top-quality craft cider and perry is concerned, we've never had it so good, what hasn't changed is that you really need to know where to find it, otherwise you'd really never know! Hence this little guide-ette to the best that I could find in January 2019.

Alongside the current excitement around 'craft' beer, it's largely the smaller, newer bars and micropubs that are driving interest in the very best ciders and perries. Micropub Beer In Hand has been open for a few years now, and is already something of an established fixture in the town. A highly regarded venue with a reputation built mostly around the excellent beer offering, but with a cider and perry board (above) that's without a doubt the best in town. Standout for me was the range from local perry specialist Oliver's of Ocle Pychard, of which I tried one or three over the course of the weekend, most memorable of which was the...

Oliver's At The Hop #8 (5.5%)

Hop-infused ciders were pioneered by Tom Oliver, the first example I tried being one of his hopped ciders back in 2014. I have to say I found interesting but slightly unconvincing. Five years later I was still waiting to be convinced when, like buses, two absolute stunners came along at once, and both from the originator, Tom Oliver. First-up a Cascade & Kazbech hopped Cider which was to die for. Then this Simcoe infused perry, literally the bottle that convinced me the future may well be lightly-hopped.

At The Hop #8 is a solidly medium perry, but in that nice frothy-fizzy sherbety way that’s refreshing without being cloying. There’s a fresh grassiness in the nose, a rich honey sweetness, zestiness, some grown-up mouth-puckering tannin, and here come the hops... a very subtle new-world aroma citrus hoppiness that blends beautifully with the perry rather than dominating it. Lovely!

I partnered this with Pizza and an impromptu traditional music session, because that's just the way the evening was going...

The Hereford Beer House has been open since 2015, but still seems very 'new' to me. It's a very welcome addition to the Hereford beer scene. Every town should have a craft beer specialist like this, in fact most do now, such is the appeal of aroma hops and eyeball-popping can designs! The beer house also features a very respectable cider and perry range from some of the very best Herefordshire producers. I started with a couple of excellent draught ciders from Olivers and Gregg's Pit , but settled on something from the small but comprehensive bottled range.

Ross-On-Wye Moorcroft & Bartestree Squash Perry 6.5%

Ross Cider & Perry has been my go-to producer for 20 years or more, and I highly recommend a visit to their pub and shop, the Yew Tree in Peterstow village. I first tried their Bartestree Squash Perry at an early Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, a rare treat then, as indeed it is now. Ross produce what must be the widest range of single variety and blended ciders and perries in the world, and I'm more than happy to try any one of them whenever I get the chance. Many of their bottled ciders and perries are naturally conditioned, as this one is, and it really does make a difference. This one has a nice prickle of condition, a lingering off-dry sweetness, full-bodied, melon , a straightforward, quite robust perry.

The last time I was in Hereford was mid-Summer, and we found the Left Bank Village quite the funky enclave in an area of quite traditional boozers. Overlooking the wide expanse of the River Wye, the outdoor seating and fire pits attract a young crowd. Young by my standards of course! De Koffie Pot Café was the main attraction for me on what was a cold, wet evening. I like the place a lot, and can recommend the DKP Burger which I partnered with this bottle of organic perry.

I've been a big fan of Dunkertons ciders and perries since the late 80's when their classy corked and bottled drinks were relatively easy to find in the Delis and Wholefood shops of Leicester. In fact I used to always get a few cases in for the Leicester festival, something to take away, and if they didn't sell out, well I was happy to underwrite the stock. I still miss those early 'still' bottled ciders, but the current sparkling range is great too.

Dunkertons Organic Perry 6.9%

This bottle poured with a slight (reassuring) haziness, possibly the result of a slightly longer time in bottle as the current release of this perry is at 7.5%. It has a long, lingering medium sweetness with soft Elderflower and Melon, and some balancing acidity.

I really couldn't find anywhere else to drink good locally made pure-juice cider and perry in Hereford, which is still something of a surprise to me given the reputation the county has for this, our most traditional of drinks. If you're still hungry for more, as I was, and want to take home some of the best that Herefordshire (and the three counties) has to offer, I'd highly recommend a visit to the cidery jewel in Hereford's crown, the Museum of Cider (below), which I'll be coming back to with some pretty pictures in a forthcoming post.

Having Your Cake, and Eating It...

If I'd known it was Apple Day, I'd have baked a cake...

Well I did and I have, so happy Apple Day everyone. Here's a cake which whilst not strictly appley in nature, is straight out of the orchard and bursting with the kind of local distinctiveness that set Common Ground on the road to Apple Day in the first place.

A couple of years ago I took the hard but necessary decision of removing our three grape vines, scene of a handful of very fine red wine vintages, but in recent years more of a crime scene as plagues of voracious Wasps beat us to the ripening crop. Their place has been taken by a strapping young Quince, a Meech's Prolific c/o piggybacking on an order from our friends at Torkard Cider of Hucknall-in-the-North.

Prolific! Not-half. This is only its second season in the garden and already we've got far more fruit than we can deal with. Hence the standard late-Summer greeting of "Hello. Would you like some Courgettes?" has taken a Quince-like direction.

Quince is a moderately versatile cooking fruit if you accept that everything you cook with it will be slightly dominated by its massive tart and tangy fruitiness. It's a lovely flavour, but I wouldn't pare it with delicate fish dishes for example, or anything delicate for that matter. A cake is ideal though, so...

Quince, Walnut, Honey & Perry Cake (Based on a recipe from 'Thyme' of Southrop Manor Est, Glocs)

Peel, core, and chop three or four Quince, depending on size, and poach for around 45 minutes in a whatever you fancy. I chose some of our own Perry, plus a dollop of honey and a couple of Star Anise. Drain and reserve the liquor.

You'll need 50g of chopped Walnuts, so if your nuts are shell-on as our were (another glut, this time from our neighbours), you may want to put some music on and begin the lengthy process of cracking and extracting. Incidentally, if anyone knows the secret to extracting Walnut innards whole and not in numerous fiddly bits, a 'comments' section is a available below...

Chop your nuts and set aside. In a food processor, blend 325g Caster Sugar with 125g Butter until fluffy. Add 3 Eggs and a dash of Vanilla Extract and beat until combined.

Measure out 360g Plain Flour, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp Salt. Add half of this to the batter until combined. Add 120ml Milk, then the rest of the flour mix until combined. Fold in the Walnuts and Quince pieces.

Transfer to a greased cake tin and bake at 150C (Fan Oven) for around 1 hour, and 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, reduce the Quince Poaching Liquor to a thin syrup.

Check the cake with a sharp knife to ensure the innards are properly cooked through. Let it cool for a bit then turn out onto a rack. Poke holes all over the top of the cake and gradually spoon the syrup over so that some soaks in, some glazes the top, and some trickles down the sides onto the work surface
.

Phone all your friends, you've got Cake!

Ciderhouse News - March 2014

March is traditionally the month when cidermakers get all twitchy and restless ahead of the new cider-selling season. Signs of Spring in the garden signal the return of migratory cider drinkers, heralded by the cheep and chirp of e-mail requests for our new-season ciders and perries. Cider twitchers need wait only a few days more for the official start of the Spring cider season. March 12th to be precise, because that's the opening afternoon of the 2014 Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, a festival renowned for it's ciders and perries. And beers.

News just in of a few micro-changes to the cider bar listing, so here they are:

In: Ross Perry, Wilcox Cider

Out: Barbourne Perry, Swallowfield Cider

Shaken All About: Green Valley Rum Cask is now Farmhouse Medium, the Gwatkin cider is a single variety Stoke Red, and the Once Upon a Tree cider is their Tumpy Ground.

In other news, our 2012 Rockingham Forest Sloe Gin was awarded 'Null Points' in the Great Easton Sloe Gin (& others) competition. The competition, a revival of long-standing village event, was held at the recently revived and re-opened Sun Inn. The judges had a tough job, with something like 30 entries to sip their way through, including the 'other' class which was won by a very moreish Marmalade concoction which we're definitely going to try ourselves. A bottle of our new season Rockingham Forest Slider was also available for tasting, which if we're honest was a good deal better than our Sloe Gin! Must try harder next year.

...and finally. Here's a recipe that's as easy to make as opening a Dairylea Cheese Triangle and spreading it on a piece of white-sliced.

Take 1 Juicy fridge-ripened Camembert, make a few gouges on the surface and insert thin slivers of garlic. Pour on some cider, we used some delicious Dunkertons Breakwell's Seedling, or if feeling particularly indulgent, Cider Brandy. Pop the lid on and bake until gooey and dippable. Crusty bread for dipping is all that's required.

Pie

We love games here at Rockingham Forest Cider. Traditional pub games in particular, but we're not fussy and will have a go at just about any game given the chance. This week our game of choice has been Pheasant and Partridge. Because it's the game season. And we're nothing if not game for a bit of seasonal game, particularly when it comes in a lovely crusty-topped pie. With gravy. Yum!

There's game a-plenty at this time of year. Shooting & Beating friends often have more than they need, and far be it for us to look a gift cock, or indeed hen in the mouth. Besides, it's a tasty treat in the right hands, and all that messy plucking and drawing malarkey gives me a rare chance to pretend I'm a proper country type, rather than the soft townie chump I really am...

So... Here's our tasty Mixed Feathered Game, Leek, Cider & Apple Pie creation for you to bake along with should you wish:

This made a generous pie for two which could probably stretch to four at a push. I used the Breast & Leg Meat from a Pheasant and a Partridge, plus half a Free Range Chicken Breast and a couple of rashers of Bacon. These all need chopping into chunks, which represents a great opportunity to look for any potentially tooth-bothering 'shot' in the game birds and also remove any particularly shot-up meat.

Fry the meat in a good knob of Butter until lightly browned, then remove from the pan. Add a little more butter or oil and saute a finely chopped Leek until tender. Return the meat to the pan and sprinkle with a good tablespoon of Plain Flour. Stir until the flour has been cooked out a little then gradually add half a pint of good Dry Rockingham Forest Cider (or similar), stirring to create a thick sauce. Add a similar quantity of Chicken Stock to thin things down a bit.

You'll now want to season the bejesus out of it, with plenty of good old fashioned White Pepper in particular. Add a bunch of Thyme, Bay Leaf, a teaspoon of Wholegrain Mustard, and probably a bit more of that lovely white pepper. Trust me!

Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until all the game is reasonably tender. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and allow to reduce and thicken. In the last couple of minutes cooking, add a peeled, cored and chopped Apple to the pan. I used a medium sized Blenheim Orange, one of the last wizened fruit that didn't make it into the cider, but a couple of Cox's would work well too. You may like to finish with a little Double Cream, but this isn't essential. When allowed to cool a little, your mix is now ready to pie-up however you wish.

* Please note: Images are for guideance only. Other pies were made and photographed during the making of this blog post. Including one with mushrooms. Like the one above.

Mussels & Cider

Necessity really is the mother of invention isn't it, and what could be more satisfying than giving yourself over entirely to necessity, and in so doing creating something surprisingly tasty from a few fridge scraps... and a bag of shellfish.

I've featured Mussels before on this blog, they're my 'Home Alone' treat, and the perfect accompaniment to a glass of cider and hunk of crusty bread. Half a kilo of fresh shiny-black Mussels are one of lifes real pleasures. A pleasure to look at, a simple pleasure to cook, and just the most moreish finger food there is. Karen doesn't like them, which is obviously a bonus for me. Half a kilo each is a good weight for a Saturday evening at home with a good movie. You may need to use the subtitle option though, the annoying rustle of a crisp packet is as nothing to the rattle and slurp of a bowl of Mussels.

I bought my Mussels on Leicester Market. Proper barnacle-encrusted Brancaster beauties, bought by the weight, and wrapped in paper, not vac-pac'd and swimming in garlic butter from the supermarket. There's a little more work involved for sure. Barnacles and beards need removing, and a good scrub won't go amiss, but I really like this bit of prep, and it's a good opportunity to find broken or gaping shells which may need rejecting. If a Mussel doesn't snap to attention after a sharp tap on the sink, it's a goner and not for the pot.

When it came to cooking these Mussels, I started as I usually do by opening a bottle of good dry cider. On this occasion, a bottle of our dwindling stock of 2010 Kingston Black/Sweet Alford blend. Rich, fruity, full of varietal character, a slight suggestion of sweetness. In fact almost too good to cook with.

Normandie Mussel Surprise

Saute a finely chopped Clove of Garlic and a tablespoon of finely chopped Onion or Shallot in a nob Butter until softened. To the hot pan add the Mussels and a good slosh of the Dry Cider (Medium/Dry would be fine, but definately not any sweeter). Cover and steam for a minute or two until all the Mussels have opened for your pleasure. At this point, remove the Mussels with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

This is where necessity makes an appearance. I wanted to add a bit of cream to the stock, but the cream was somewhat past its best. Instead I was forced to turn to a scrag-end of creamy Camembert, a leftover from the Christmas cheese board, all gooey and ripe, but still in good condition. I added a chunk of this to the pan, and stirred until I had a thin sauce, seasoned with Black Pepper, and poured over the waiting Mussels. At this point you may want to add some Chopped Parsley, I would certainly have liked to but my luck had well and truly ran out by now. The Mussels were great nevertheless.

Bits'n'Bobs (Formerly Ciderhouse News) - January

It's no secret that we have a 'Mole' inside the Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival organising committee. She (or indeed He) goes by the code name of 'Susan', aka Sue, Susie, The Suse-let etc. depending on what disguise she (or he) is working under. Information can also occasionally comes to us via her (or his) intermediary, 'Paul' aka 'Susans Husband'. Now I'm not at liberty to reveal any more than this, certainly not her (or his) role in the organisation. Suffice to say that our Mole is very close indeed to the inner sanctum of the organisation, and has a key role in the drinks orders, though not necessarily anything to do with the beer... or soft drinks. I can't say any more.

Anyway, Susan has already supplied us with a few nuggets of information ahead of the event, on the strict understanding that we carefully 'leak' them here. So I can now exclusively reveal, that subject to all the usual issues of supply, this years cider bar will feature a whole bunch of local Ciders (and a Perry), as well as a whole bunch more ciders and perries from elsewhere. It's hoped that over the weekend the following producers will be represented in one form or another, including rather excitingly the current top three East Midlands producers as judged by CAMRA at last years Nottingham Beer Festival:

Bottle Kicking Cider Co - Leicestershire
Charnwood Cider - Leicestershire
Rockingham Forest Cider (Silver Medal Winner) - Northamptonshire
Scropton Cider (Bronze Medal Winner) - Derbyshire
Thirsty Farmer Cider - Leicestershire
Torkard Cider (Gold Medal Winner) - Nottinghamshire

If I've got any of these details wrong, I can only apologise. Sometimes the intelligence can arrive in a 'scrambled' southern dialect. One other snippet of information: Cider Bar in New Stillaging Shocker! - Folk singer already booked to lament the old ones...

In other breaking news, the Rockingham Forest Ciderhouse Pub Games Collection continues to grow, with the recent acquisition of a vintage Rings Board and accompanying collection of Tatty Hoover Belt Rings. Once a very popular pub game, but now mostly confined to Ireland and the Ventnor area of the Isle of Wight, this handsome board will take pride of place on the ciderhouse wall ready for the entertaining of visitors. A lovely old Mahogany Cribbage Board has been secured for the scoring, though lacking lovely-pegs as yet. We're still on the look out for a Sussex Toad in the Hole, though heaven knows where we're going to put one...

It's always nice to get a bit of feedback on this blog, nice and usually a surprise since we know our readership is usually quite slim (in numbers, not necessarily girth!). It was a genuine delight to receive the following message from across the water in Ireland, and on a subject close to my heart. The famous Anna McKean Christmas Pudding which I'm pleased to say we enjoyed again this year:

Hi, I'm Jane from near Rateen, St Johnston and Anna McKean was my grandmother......I can't tell you how delighted and pleased I was for my wonderful Granny when I saw your mention "tip of the hat to Anna's plum pudding". She was a very hard working farmers wife who spent her whole life rearing children - my Mum being the eldest - and cooking, cleaning and best of all baking for those around her. Many people over the years have said what a wonderful baker she was - her shortbread and Christmas cakes (wedding/christening etc cakes) where second to none. Oh and how could I forget her delicious chocolate sponge cake - oh man that was so good. She passed away in Sept 2006, I miss her still. It's heartwarming and deserving for my Gran that she gets some tiny taste of fame for her baking even though it's too late for her. My mum, Joan, and her sisters Mary and Anne are all good bakers too and it was Aunt Mary who discovered this website when she googled Rateen. Thanks again, Jane

Proof, should it be needed, of the wide demographic spread this blog enjoys, thanks for that Jane, the pleasure is all ours. Now, if only we could attract a few more cider enthusiasts to the blog...

Sidra With Tobie

Today, being a Saturday, and more importantly being the first Saturday of a long-awaited holiday week, we decided to sally-forth and indulge our foody (and drinky) passions on a day trip to upmarket Stamford. Mmm! Lovely, lovely Stamford. Home to some of the finest pubs, cafes, cheese shops and wine merchants in the land.... and a Waitrose. Yay!



Pizza!

Whenever we visit Stamford, we're inevitably drawn to the top of the town and the cosy, boozy, foody delights of the Tobie Norris pub. Top quality Pizza and fine Ufford Ales are the main draw, though the historic building itself is worthy of investigation. We like it in the Tobie (yes, we're on first name terms now). It's the perfect place to lose an afternoon, aided and abetted by the three 'P's of civilised lunchtime pubbing. A Pint, a Pizza, and a stack of the days Papers. Lovely! There are probably other pubs in Stamford, maybe even really great ones. We really wouldn't know.

As if things couldn't be bettered at the Tobie, they've only gone and increased the range of ciders on offer. There's now a Westons cider on handpump, and the rare treat of Hogans Draught, a full flavoured keg cider not often seen round these parts. I'd really better stop drooling now before I start to sound like a fan-boy...

Anyway, inspired by our friends Tania & David of Birmingham, who're always doing exciting things with food and drink and Tweeting about it to make us really envious, we decided to stock up on a picnic basket full of Epicurean delights, and have a Spanish themed evening. In front of the telly. With some French and English bits thrown in for good measure.

All praise to Waitrose for supplying the Manchego and Aged Ossau Iraty cheeses, as well as the Paleta Iberico air dried Pig meat. Other cheeses came from here and there, the star of the cheeseboard being a ridiculously runny Époisses de Bourgogne, rind washed in local Brandy for extra pungency/offensiveness. To complete the (ahem!) Spanish theme, I opened my very last bottle of Basque Sidra Natural, bought several years ago on a holiday in Bilbao. Standing manfully in the gathering dusk of the garden, I poured the precious drink in the traditional way, from a great height into our prized pair of Basque Sidra tumblers.

It was a little bit past it to be honest. Sidra like this isn't made to be kept for any great length of time, and this bottle had gone a little too far down the road of vinegariness to be entirely enjoyable. It was however thoroughly authentic, which is more than can be said for our Spanish themed evening.

Trophy Wife

The Uppingham Fete, Flower and Produce Show comes around but once a year, which is just as well in my opinion. Winning prizes at this level of competition takes some effort. Late nights bottling and baking, early mornings straightening carrots and polishing Marrows. It takes real dedication, even without the aid of a hangover the size of Rutlandshire (more of which later...). So was it worth it?

Well, yes and no!

It's certainly true that the High Sheriff of Rutland will awake tomorrow wondering where half the county's silverware has gone. Three of the coveted Flower Show Cups have now been smuggled across the border to a small village in Northamptonshire. We're particularly pleased to have retained the Mathews Rose Cup, but we also won the Uppingham Home Produce Association Cup, and the mighty Uppingham Flower Show Cup for the most points in show. There are of course many Cups, but there's only one Uppingham Flower Show Cup. It's a kind of 'One Cup' to rule them all, and rest assured, we're keeping it safe, keeping it secret...


Our Cups Runneth Over

The downside of all this is that I won't be getting my name on any of this hard-won booty. Each year we take it in turns to 'own' the entries, and this year it was Karens turn. Her name, and her name only, will be inscribed on the silverware for all eternity. Bah! Not Fair!

Anyway, back to that epic hangover, brought on by a late-late night of fried Lough Neagh Eels, Chucklehead Cider, and an all-you-can-drink Wot's Occuring buffet in a secret location in Cottingham. Bad is it was, it could have been so much worse. The polite offer of a decadent dip in the Hot Tub was intriguing, but very sensibly declined. Another day maybe...

Hangovers like these need a jolly good feeding, so once the early morning business of delivering Karen's entries to Uppingham had been accomplished (I'm not bitter, honest...) , it was off for a bit of cosy comfort food. The Veranda Cafe Bar at Wing Hall provided the cure with homemade Cheese-topped Beef Chilli with Nachos (and 'stuff'), washed down with a restorative pint of Rockingham Forest Red Kite Cider. Goats Cheese Tart with Salad (and 'stuff') for the ladies. Both equally delicious, though for a hangover I can only really recommend one of the above... with cider of course!

We took the opportunity to deliver more of that Red Kite Cider to the Farm Shop and Cafe today, so they won't be running out any day soon. I'll also be delivering some of our Green Horse Perry in time for the live music session next Saturday (featuring multi-talented local muso-legend Chris Conway in cool Jazz mode). Karen will be available for autographs, and photos with the Trophys during the interval.

Hock & Roll

Wintery weather (like wot we're having now) calls for the most comforting of all comfort foods. Soup and a Crusty Roll works for me, and there can be no better soup for our traditional chilly Summer months than the humble Ham & Pea variety. Thick as a Bulls Lug, and fashionably Cheap-as-Chips in these days of austerity.

I say cheap, what other meaty treat can you buy for £1.20 which gives enough ham off the the bone to make a cauldron of soup and enough spare for a sandwich or two. The lovely ladies at Sherwins Cheese Stall in Leicesters Indoor Market supplied the Hock. Just try buying one of these bargains in your local supermarket. As for the recipe, Cooking In Cider by novelist Norah C James provided the inspiration, with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall supplying a more practical modern 'River Pottage' alternative that doesn't involve the liberal use of Frankfurters!

Soak a Ham Hock overnight in a bowl of water. Also soak 300g of Split Peas or Red Lentils in water for at least a couple of hours prior to cooking.

Place the drained Ham Hock in a pan just big enough to comfortably contain it. Cover with half a pint of Dry Cider (I used a bottle of our 2009 Rockingham Forest Cider), and enough water to barely cover the Hock. Add a chopped Carrot, Onion and Celery stalk, plus a sprig of Thyme and a couple of Bay Leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour or so.

Leave to cool a little, then skim any excess fat from the surface. Spend a happy 10 minutes picking the surprisingly generous quantity of meat from the Hock. Strain the stock and discard the vegetables. Add the drained peas/lentils, a couple of finely chopped Carrots and Celery stalks, and a couple of medium Onions to the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about an hour before blitzing to a soupy consistency. Add as much chopped Ham as you like, and adjust the seasoning if necessary (the Hock may have been salty enough). I like to add a tablespoon or so of Oxford Sauce, or a good dash of Worcestershire Sauce to finish.

I haven't included a photo of the finished soup. It's soup after all, and I think we all know what soup looks like...

Mystery Perry 2011

I've been busy in the ciderhouse today, boxing up the Kingston Black Cider ahead of festivals at the Tollemache Arms and Raunds Cricket Club. The cider is tasting very good, in fact everything tastes good at the moment, a reminder that cider really does need a bit more time than we often give it.

I took the opportunity to deal with a lonely gallon demijohn of mystery Perry whilst I was about it. It's the one with the 'jellyfish' of tannin floating on top, and was originally earmarked for topping up purposes but never got used. I've no record of what it was made from, or what it's alcohol level is likely to be. What I do know is that it's crystal clear, has a rich Elderflower and pear aroma, and a juicy, sweetish flavour with a well balanced and drying tannic finish. Similar to the Malvern Hills (which it could well be), but less tannic, which can only be a good thing.

Anyway, Perry as good as this needs to be savoured, so I bottled up half of the gallon for our own drinking pleasure. The other half is destined for a more culinary fate...

Really good Cider Vinegar is quite an expensive condiment, but common enough. Perry Vinegar on the other hand is even rarer than the drink it's made from. Westons experimented with a Perry Vinegar some years ago, but it didn't take off and seems to have disappeared. The only way you're going to find Perry Vinegar (should you want it), is from small craft perry makers, or make your own. I've decided to make my own.

It's an easy enough process, leave a jar of (unsluphited) perry exposed to the air for long enough, and it will soon become infected with wild acetic acid bacteria and eventually turn sufficiently vinegary to be of use. If you want to help things along, and help protect the perry from the chance of other less useful micro-organisms taking hold, it's best to inoculate your perry with a 'Mother' of live Acetobacter from a bottle of unpasteurised cider vinegar. The problem is, you'll be lucky to find unpasteurised cider vinegar in the supermarket, this is a job for the craft cidermaker.

I bought my unpasteurised cider vinegar from perry (and cider) making wizzard, and all round top-bloke, Tom Oliver. It's good stuff, a lovely deep Herefordshire colour, with a greater depth of flavour than the national brands. Lurking at the bottom of the bottle is a small clump of the all important 'Mother of Vinegar', waiting to get it's digestive system into my perry. I decanted the vinegar off this clump, and pitched it into a not-too-full jar of the perry, gave it a good shake to aerate, and tied a small piece of muslin to the top. I want the air to get to the perry but not the Vinegar Flies.

Perry Vinegar is pretty rare stuff to be sure, but whether this reflects the scarcity of the raw ingredient, or the lack of value of the finished product remains to be seen. In a month or two's time I should hopefully be able to tell you.

You can read more about Cider Vinegar making on Andrew Lea's excellent Wittenham Hill Cider Pages

Cake Sunday

Before we acquired our little flock of laying hens, we thought we'd done all the research and groundwork on back garden poultry keeping we could possibly do. Hen-house, Layers Pellets, Grit, Mites, Dust Baths, Wattles, Combs, Beaks, the lot. We've had our ups and downs since then, and learned quite a bit about Hen Health and Welfare, but one thing we've never managed to get on top of is the regular delivery of up to 21 eggs a week...

Lay Ladies Lay



Tip of the Egg-berg

Now we like eggs well enough, and there's always the giving away to family and friends option, but even so, the Middleton Egg Mountain continues to grow apace. Those hens just won't give it a rest. Pickled Eggs seem an obvious solution, particularly if my plans to convert a small batch of our perry into Perry Vinegar comes to fruition. The trouble is... Pickled Eggs!... Eggs, Pickled! Well we've tried it, and I can safely say that rubbery vinegar is definitely not our thing. So cake it is then, an excellent way of using up surplus eggs, and a traditional Sunday pastime in this household.

Almond Bars with Cider Glaze

This recipe is pinched from 'A Taste of Cider' by Shirley Harrison, a book which has been gathering dust on my bookshelf for some years now. The cider used for the glaze was a bottle of Moorland Farm Medium/Sweet Cyder.This is quite a sweet cider, but with a fair bit of acidity to balance it, and in common with the draught version I tried at Newark Beer Festival this year, has a lovely soft 'peachy' flavour which goes very well in a glaze.

Cream 225g of Butter with 100g Caster Sugar until fluffy. Stir in 50g of Ground Almonds, 175g Self Raising Flour, 50g of Sultanas, and a few drops of Almond Essence. Spread onto a lined baking tray, and scatter with 50g of Flaked Almonds. Bake at 160C for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile bring 150ml of Sweet Cider and 50g of Caster Sugar to the boil, and reduce by boiling rapidly to a couple of tablespoons of syrup, When the cake is cooked, drizzle the glaze over the surface and leave to cool before cutting into bars.

You'll probably have noticed there are no eggs in this cake. Damn! 

Red, White & Blue at Cider & Cheese Festival

Wherever there's a well stocked cider bar, you're sure to find the Rockingham Forest Cider Picking & Panking Team in situ. Such was the case at this years Swan & Rushes Cider & Cheese Festival. Whilst I loitered on the fun side of the bar, our compact harvesting team Paul & Sue, gamely volunteered to help out at the sharp end, pouring, serving, and offering their expertise to customers throughout the Saturday session (whether they wanted it or not).


Cider...



...and Cheese



For my part, I indulged in plenty of cider, perry, and as much cheese as my trembling arteries could handle. The cheese selection was a wonder to behold, and not a pineapple chunk in sight. My picks of the day were the hard as Parmesan Gorsehill Abbey St Kenelm, a mellow, sweetish cheese from very near where we harvest our cider apples and perry pears. Two Hoots Barkham Blue was a really creamy, classy blue; and the Wootton Dairy Ringwell Organic was both crumbly and creamy, with a moreish, slightly pungent flavour. This festival is worth visiting for the cheese alone.



But there was cider and perry too of course. I concentrated mainly on perries, including a sweetish Thorn and rich Greggs Pitt/Aylton Red/Blakeney Red blend from the ever reliable James Marsden of Greggs Pitt fame, plus excellent, well-balanced perries from Springherne and Barbourne.

As usual, the day went far too quickly, and I bid a sad farewell to the many cheeses and ciders I didn't get a chance to try. Congratulations to the Big Cheese himself Grant, and his hard working team for putting on such a fine festival.

Ciderhouse News - Bank Holiday Special

Our two regular outlets for cider and perry are now both up and running for the Summer. The Red Lion, Middleton continues to offer Red Kite Cider (7%) on handpump, plus Blakeney Red Perry (4%) from the chiller cabinet. We feel that this lower alcohol, sweetish perry benefits from being served at a cooler temperature than the more robust Yarlington Mill cider. Extra ales will also be available at the Red next weekend, with local band 'This Way Up' playing their hearts out on Friday evening.

Wing Hall Cafe-Bar

Wing Hall in Rutland is now accepting happy campers for the new season, with Zia's excellent Cafe-Bar also open following a Winter break. We've supplied the cafe with Red Kite Cider, which is also available for takeaway from the well-stocked Farm Shop along with our Blakeney Red Perry. You don't have to be a camper to enjoy the delights of Wing Hall, a love of very Free-Ranging Chickens helps though!

What's being billed as 'The Event of the Decade' is shaping up nicely. Here's the latest version of the cider and perry list for the mighty Swan & Rushes Cider & Cheese Festival which kicks off next weekend (the cheese list can be viewed here):

Some of the Cheeses at last years festival

Herefordshire
Greggs Pit (3 perries)
Ross-on-Wye (3)
Carey Organics
Springhern (2)
Upper House Farm
Border Orchards
Olivers Cider & Perry
Gwatkins (3)

Somersetshire
Wilkins Dry & Med
Westcroft Dry & Janet’s Jungle juice
Rich's (2)
Hecks (4)
Naish Cider
Chants Cider
Broadoak Moonshine

Gloucestershire
Hartland (2)

Worcestershire
Barbourne (2)
Boston Farm

Northamptonshire
Rockingham Forest Red Kite Cider & Blakeney Red Perry

Lincolnshire

Skidbrooke

Jollydale

Hampshire

Mr Whitehead’s

OK Grant, you've made your point. Probably the largest range of ciders and perries ever assembled in the county and all that... Leicester Beer Festival need to raise their game etc... Size isn't everything you know!

Chocs Away

Hands-up if you're a fan of dried Figs. Hmm, thought so...

Alright then..... how about the aforementioned Figs, soaked for the best part of a day in Calvados, lovingly wrapped in the finest Marzipan our local Waitrose could supply, rolled carefully to the size of a small Quails Egg, then smothered in a thick layer of Chocolate so dark it could trigger a spell of Seasonal Affective Disorder in the wrong hands. Ok, hands down now.

From small seeds, ridiculously toothsome treats do grow. The marzipan was my starting point, a leftover from the annual Christmas Cake ritual. We love marzipan, so much so that I generally cake the marzipan rather than risk drowning the almondy loveliness in too much fruit'n'nut. A thick layer is essential, but after a bit of a trim there's usually a bit left over. It's been in the fridge for a month now. A golf-ball sized marzi-remnant, calling me like a temptress in the night. Never one to shirk my responsibilities, I simply had to heed the Call of the Sweetmeat. We love chocolate too... and Calvados.

So here's how we made our Calvados Marzi-Fig Surprises:

Roughly chop a handfull of dried Figs, pop them in a bowl and pour over a generous slosh of Calvados, Cider Brandy, or any other lesser Brandy if that's all you've got. We left ours overnight, but a couple of hours should get them boozy and soft enough.

Drain the surplus Calvados off into a handy 'chefs-glass' for later (ahem!) inspection! Take a piece or two of Fig and cover it with a thin layer of the rolled-out marzipan. Meanwhile, melt a huge bar of Dark Chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water. You're now ready for the messy bit.

Dip each marzipan ball into the melted chocolate, transferring to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. We used a mini-whisk to lift the dripping delicacies out, but if you're the kind of person who has a Chocolatiers Fork to hand, all the better. Sift a little Cocoa Powder over the chocolates just before they harden completely. They're ready to scoff when the chocolate doesn't burn your tongue....perhaps sooner. We ran out of marzipan, so used the remaining Figs to make a very homemade looking chocolate bar. They both taste amazingly good.