Cider in Leicester - A Pub Guide (Revised 2014 Edition)

Even though no license fee is required for viewing this blog (as if we could actually charge for this rubbish!), we still feel duty bound to deliver the occasional public service broadcast. It's been a while since we fulfilled this weighty obligation, March 2010 to be precise.

So with literally thousands of thirsty customers flocking into the city for the annual Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival (half a dozen of which are known to occasionally read this blog), I felt it was high time I revisited my magnum opus, the reasonably well-received Cider in Leicester - A Pub Guide. So here it is.

This list is probably best used in conjunction with a few halves at the superb Leicester Beer Festival Cider Bar, and is best viewed using the 'entirely-free-to-download' Leicester Real Ale Trail glossy leaflet add-on-with-map doohickey.

Please note:  This is not a campaigning blog and I therefore make no judgement on the quality of any of the ciders mentioned, some of which will inevitably not meet everyones criteria with regard to being 'real' or 'traditional'. Also note that this list represents my own knowledge of the current cider scene in Leicester, broadly encompassing an easily walkable area from the beer festival site up to the rail station. If I've inadvertently omitted any pubs, or the information has in any way become inaccurate or obsolete subsequently, I apologise in advance. I'd had a bit to drink you see...

• Ale Wagon, Rutland St/Charles St, LE1 1RE - Traditional corner local close to the rail station. Wide range of ales, and a house cider from a large Somerset producer

• Barley Mow, Granby St, LE1 6FB - Recent Everards Brewery refurbishment close to the rail station. Guest cider(s) from Everards range*

• Black Horse, Foxon St/Braunstone Gt, LE3 5LT - Lovely interior to this two room Everards Brewery pub, which received a sensitive refurbishment quite recently. Guest cider from Everards range*, though usually this is Westons Old Rosie

• Criterion Freehouse, 44 Millstone Lane, LE1 5JN (0116 2625418) - Pioneering Leicester ale and cider house, with the added bonus of regular live music, beer and cider festivals, fabulous pizza, and all-round city-centre grooviness. Occasional outlet for our own cider or perry (hopefully the case during the festival weekend), but always something interesting on the dedicated guest cider handpump, plus usually another draught cider or perry from the cellar.

• The Globe, Silver St, LE1 5EU - Everards Brewery ale house in the very centre of town, now featuring a couple of guest ciders from the brewery range*

• High Cross, High St, LE1 4JB - The only Wetherspoon in the city centre which regularly features real cider. Usually two available, often GwyntY-Ddraig or Westons, but occasionally something more unusual

• King Richard III, Highcross St, LE1 4NN - One of Leicesters great unspoilt locals, close to the Highcross shopping disaster. Everards ales, and a guest cider from the brewery range*

• Kings Head, King St, LE1 6RL - A proper local in the town, and a rare outlet for Black Country Ales in addition to numerous guest beers. Guest ciders from larger regional producers such as Gwynt-Y-Ddraig or Sandford Orchards

• Polar Bear, Oxford St, LE1 5XW - Recently improved beer range at this 'Scream' pub included a Westons Cider on a recent visit

• Rutland & Derby, Millstone La, LE1 5JN - Smartly refurbished with a strong emphasis on food. Guest cider from the Everards Brewery range*

• Salmon, Butt La, LE1 4QA - Smart but traditional ale house near the main bus station.Popular with both beer enthusiasts and rugby fans. Usually two guest ciders from the cellar, often from regionals such as Gwynt-Y-Ddraig, or occasionally smaller local producers including Charnwood

• Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom St, LE2 7DD - Recently refurbished Everards ale house, close to the rugby and football grounds. Two guest ciders, often from smaller producers, including those from the brewery range*

• Swan & Rushes, Oxford St/Infirmary Sq, LE1 5WR - Home of Leicesters original Cider & Cheese Festival, the Swan is a noted beer enthusiasts venue close to the rugby and football grounds. The guest cider was from Orchard Pig when I visited recently, bottled Thirsty Farmer Cider also available

• The Tudor, Tudor Rd, LE3 5HT - Another recent Everards Brewery refurbishment, sensitively done and retaining the two-room traditional layout of this backstreet local. A guest cider from the brewery range is usually available*

• The Western, Western Rd, LE3 0GA - Steamin' Billy pub which usually features a couple of draught ciders. Bottles of local Thirsty Farmer Cider are also available

* = Everards supply a range of ciders to their estate, including regional and national brands from Hogan's and Westons for example, as well as some local Leicestershire producers such as Bottle Kicking and Thirsty Farmer.

Ciderhouse News - July

• If you hurry, there's still time to catch this years Cheese, Cider & Perry Festival at the Criterion in Leicester. We popped in for a few halves on Thursday, and particularly enjoyed the Border Orchards Perry, and Sandford Orchards Fanny Bramble Cider (Cider with Blackberries). Quite a few of the ciders listed were being held in reserve, including our own Red Kite, and local Charnwood Cider from Leicestershire, so there should be plenty left for today and the week ahead.

• The first release of our new Kingston Black blend of cider has gone to Wing Hall, ready to service the needs of an influx of holiday campers. The Kingston Black is available in the Farm Shop, with Red Kite Cider available from Zia's cosy Veranda Cafe Bar.

• It's now only a week until the start of the 6th Tollemache Arms Beer Festival (1st - 7th August). Over 30 ales, ciders and perrys are promised, including our own, and Eves of Kettering. The weekend also incorporates the 2nd annual Music Festival, with 25 acts performing for our pleasure.

• The following weekend is the 3rd Raunds Cricket Club Beer Festival (11th - 14th August), featuring 28 ales, cider & perry, plus a whole bunch of entertainment on and off the pitch. I can now confirm that the cider and perry range for the weekend will be: Once Upon A Tree - Tumpy Ground Cider; Rockingham Forest - Kingston Black Cider, Red Kite Cider, Perry; Ross-on-Wye - Cider, Perry. The good folk of Raunds have a habit of drinking the cider and perry dry at this popular event, so we've increased the number of boxes/barrels we'll be supplying so there should be something available throughout the festival.

Ciderhouse News - July

• The Rutland CAMRA Beer Festival exceeded my expectations. Great cider and perry in a really interesting location at the Rutland County Museum. I'm ashamed to say I neglected to view any of the impressive exhibits, preferring to chat the afternoon away with assorted friends and acquaintances whilst working my way through the ciders and perrys. Highlights for me were the Cornish Orchards Strong Dry, and Jollydale Cider. Cider bar organiser Gillian Cummings reported that our Blakeney Red Perry 'sold out', and was '...definitely cider/perry of the festival'. Yay!

• Our next event will be the new improved Cottingham & Middleton Village Fete (16th July, 12-5pm), a local fundraiser we're proud to be a part of. The 'Beer Tent' will feature local Langton Brewery ales, as well as Med/Dry and Med/Sweet Red Kite Cider. If you like it Medium, ask for a blend of the two!

• The Criterion Cheese, Cider & Perry Festival is imminent (18th - 24th July). I'll be dropping cider and perry into the pub this weekend, and hope to twist Russell or Karen's arm for a sneak preview of what will be available over the week of the festival.

• I was delighted to read in our village newsletter, Cottingham & Middleton News, that funding is being sought to renovate and enhance the Village Orchard in Middleton. This important village green space has been somewhat neglected of late, the trees heavily overgrown with Ivy, with one old specimen having fallen several years ago causing damage to the wall on the road side of the orchard. I do hope that the intention is to retain the apple and pear trees. We don't use the fruit in our ciders, but I know that some local folk do collect the cooking apples for their pies, and the blossom is something to behold in the Springtime.

Ciderhouse News - June

A busy day in the ciderhouse today. Barrels and boxes have now been filled ready for the next round of festivals and local deliveries. Barely a drop passed my lips... honest!

First up is a delivery to our friends at the Criterion Freehouse in Leicester, with a box of our new season Green Horse Perry. Like our other perries, this has finished with quite a high gravity of 1.014, giving a rich medium perry of 4.6% abv. Green Horse perry pears make a naturally opaque perry, with a pleasant citrusy sharpness, and just a hint of Ginger to my taste buds.

The cider and perry list for our village local the Red Lion has now been firmed up ready for this weekends Welland Valley Beer Festival:

Rockingham Forest Red Kite Cider (Med/Dry) 7%

Rockingham Forest Welland Valley Festival Special Cider (Medium) 7.5%

Rockingham Forest Green Horse Perry (Medium) 4.6%
Rockingham Forest Blakeney Red Perry (Med/Sweet) 4.2%
Torkard Floppy Tabs Cider (Medium) 6.0%
Ross Blakeney Red Perry (Med/Dry) 6.0%
Ross Browns Apple Cider (Med/Dry) 6.5%
Another local-ish cider (tbc)

This seasons Welland Valley Festival Special has emerged with a bit of soft tannin from the Russets we pressed, and a lovely orchard-fruits aroma. This cider will also be crossing the border to Rutland for the inaugural Rutland CAMRA Beer Festival later in the month, along with the very last barrel of this seasons Blakeney Red Perry.

Coming Soon...

...to a pub or festival near you. The abv is a bit speculative at the moment, but we may send some of this to our friends at the Criterion for their forthcoming Somerset Ales, Cider, Perry and Cheese Festival in July. Watch this space...

Ciderhouse News - May

Things are really hotting up in the ciderhouse. Not literally of course, a heatwave in the ciderhouse would be very bad news indeed for our ciders and perrys. What I mean is the ciders and perrys are all ready to go, and demand over the next few weeks is very high. Here's a round up of some of the events we'll be supplying:

The cider bar at the Northampton CAMRA Beer Festival has gone from strength to strength since a relatively modest start at Delapre Abbey in 2006. We're sending around 60 gallons of cider and perry this year, which may sound quite a lot, but if last year is anything to go by, don't be too surprised if one or all have sold out before Saturday. That's not to say the cider bar itself will be sold out, there will be plenty of other good ciders and perrys available, but possibly not ours, and my advice is to go on Friday for the very best range. I'll be propping the bar up during the Friday session, and may have something interesting in my pocket for sampling so do stop me and try one if you like. Here's what we'll be sending:

Rockingham Forest Cider (Med/Dry) 7.2%
Rockingham Forest Bulmers Norman Cider (Med) 6.5%
Rockingham Forest Perry (Med/Dry) 5.6%

Newark CAMRA are having their well-established Beer Festival on the same weekend as Northants, which is a shame as I'd have liked to have gone to both. Rockingham Forest Cider and our Blakeney Red Perry will be available here, as well as a range of ciders from our friends in the north Ray & Gail of Torkard Cider.

I don't know many details on this one, but Ray & Gail of the aforementioned Torkard Cider have strongarmed some of our own cider and perry for a Vegan Beer Festival in Nottingham (5th - 6th June). Ciders like ours are of course entirely free of animal derived products, though it's perhaps inevitable that the odd Wasp may have found its way into the juice at some point. We can certainly guarantee that no animals were hurt in the making of our ciders and perrys (just humans), and if anything did die in the making, well, it surely died happy...

Further on down the line, we've noticed that the dates for the Criterion Cider & Perry Festival have been changed to 19th - 25th July. You can't shake us off that easily Russell. Change the dates as often as you like, we'll still be delivering our cider and perry whether you like it or not.

Meanwhile, our cider continues to be available at the Red Lion, Middleton, and Wing Hall Farmshop and Cafe-Bar. We hope to bring you up-to-date news of the forthcoming Welland Valley Beer Festival just as soon as anything interesting reaches our finely tuned ears.

In Good Company

Rockingham Forest Blakeney Red Perry, available at the award-winning Criterion Freehouse, Leicester.... if you're quick!

Hey! Ho! Let's Go!

It's official, Rockingham Forest Cider is 'Open For Sales'...

The Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival kicks off tomorrow afternoon. Widely regarded as having one of the best selections of real ales available at any festival in the UK, and a cider and perry bar to match. Our early season Blakeney Red Perry is just one of around 40 different ciders and perrys available this year. I plan to prop the cider bar up throughout Thursday afternoon, and ciders which have caught my eye include the Burrow Hill Dry, Olivers Dabinett, West Lake Morgan's Sweet, and Millwhites Organic Single Orchard. I'm also keen to compare the other two Blakeney Red Perrys to our own humble offering.

We're also pleased to announce that our perry will be available at the Criterion Freehouse in Leicester during the festival weekend. Barely a stoneware jar's throw from the festival venue, cider and perry drinkers could do much worse than pay Russell and Karen a visit during their time in Leicester. See our previous blog post for details of other outlets in Leicester for real cider and perry.

Closer to home, the Blakeney Red Perry is going down very well at our 'cider-tap' the Red Lion, Middleton, alongside Gwynt Y Ddraig Haymaker for those with a slightly sweeter tooth.

On what promises to be a very busy, and highly pleasurable weekend, I hope to have enough left in the tank on Saturday to toast an England victory in this season's Calcutta Cup match!... Well, I can but hope...

Cheers!

Cider in Leicester - A Pub Guide

As promised, for those visiting the Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, and not satisfied with the 40 (yes 40!) ciders and perrys on offer, here's a snapshot of the current cider outlets which are within easy walking distance of the festival (correct as of Feb 2010):

Ale Wagon, 27 Rutland Street, LE1 1RE (0116 2623330) - A guest cider is usually available on handpump, Gwynt Y Ddraig Barnstormer on a recent visit.

Black Horse, 1 Foxon Street, LE3 5LT (0116 2540030) - A rare traditional pub in an area littered with style bars. Westons Old Rosie on handpump.

Criterion Freehouse, 44 Millstone Lane, LE1 5JN (0116 2625418) - Perhaps the most eclectic range of draught ciders and perrys available in the city. Up to two guests are usually available, one of which will be on the dedicated cider/perry handpump. Thatchers and Westons ciders feature, but there's just as likely to be something interesting from a smaller craft producer. The Criterion is our regular outlet for Rockingham Forest Cider in Leicester. There is an annual Cider & Cheese Festival in the Summer.

The Pub, 12 New Walk, LE1 6TF - Keg ciders only here, including the better than average Aspall Suffolk Draught Cyder. Personally, I would recommend the range of bottled ciders from Welsh producer Gwynt-Y-Ddraig. A proper draught cider on one of the 15 handpumps wouldn't hurt though. Perhaps if enough people ask...

Rutland & Derby, 23 Millstone Lane, LE1 5JN - Westons Old Rosie on handpump.

Swan & Rushes, 19 Infirmary Square, LE1 5WR (0116 2339167) - Up to two guest ciders, often from smaller craft producers. Recently Crones Organic Ciders from Norfolk have featured. This year's Cider & Cheese Festival has been pencilled in for 21st - 22nd May.

The Western, 70 Western Road, LE3 0GA (0116 2545287) - Aspall Suffolk Draught Cyder, and a bottled house cider from Sheppy's.

Wetherspoon - Both The Last Plantagenet (107 Granby Street, LE1 6FD) and The High Cross (103-105 Hight Street, LE1 4JB) usually have a box of Westons cider in the fridge (note: their Marcle Hill Cider is in fact re-badged Westons 1st Quality!). Occasionally something more interesting from Gwynt Y Ddraig makes an appearance too.

Cider News

In the absence of any news on our own ciders and perrys, here's a round up of some local (Leics/Northants) cider news:

Our friends in the 'big city' can look forward to a bit more variety in the cider department soon. Criterion Freehouse licensee Russell Hunt (pictured here for no other reason than he'd probably rather we didn't!) informs me that a substantial order of quailty ciders will be delivered to the pub in the next week or so. Names mentioned include Berriew, Newtons, Kennford, Heck's, Sheppy's, and Appledram. This lot should keep things ticking over nicely at Leicester's premier cider outlet until we've got something of our own to deliver in the Spring.

Budgens Store in Mountsorrel is the unlikely outlet for a genuine Leicestershire cider. 'Thirsty Farmer', made locally by ex-Somerset farmer Andrew Fear, is a rich, medium cider, with a good bittersweet character. Mr Fear comes from a long line of Somerset cidermakers, and has recently brought the ancient custom of Wassailing the orchards to this corner of the county. It's hoped that a barrel of Thirsty Farmer Cider will make an appearance at the cider bar of this years Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival.

It's 6 Nations rugby time again, and we'll be cheering on the mighty Leicester Tigers... err!... England, in their opening match against those tricksy Welsh boyos, in what promises to be a humdinger of a match. If any of the Welsh national team are reading this (as if!), 'Just the 15 men on the pitch today lads'...

In the traditional English spirit of Détente, we've supplied a barrel of fine Welsh cider to our local the Red Lion, Middleton, which will be on tap for the big match on Saturday. Gwynt-Y-Ddraig Haymaker Cider is described as a '...fruity medium cider bursting with the flavour of apples. A true Farmhouse Cider with a smooth finish'. Yum!

6 Nations supporters from further afield can rest assured that there's plenty of English ale and cider on tap, French and Italian wine, a very good Porter for the Irish.... and a fridge full of IRN-BRU!

Cider & Cheese (Cheese Optional)

I managed a good six hours at this year's Leicester Cider & Cheese Festival, split rather unevenly between the Criterion and the nearby Swan & Rushes. More importantly, I had the pleasure of ten ciders and perrys, halves of course, before having to catch the train home.

The ciders at the Criterion had a distinct West-Country theme, Devon and Somerset making up most of the numbers. Here's what I tried:

Bollhayes - This cider comes from the people behind the Vigo, the cider and wine making equipment suppliers. If anyone should know how to make a good quality cider it's them. The cider was rich, dry, and full of spicy bittersweet character. The tannic, slightly bitter finish put this firmly in the enthusiasts category. An excellent cider, but perhaps a little too heavyweight for pint drinking.

Gray's - Another excellent, classic Devon bittersweet. Dry, full-flavoured, but more tangy than the Bollhayes. This tangy quality is quite common in West-Country ciders, the result of a controlled level of acetic acid which can lend the cider a more 'drinkable' quality.

Green Valley Cyder - This cider has a much more 'commercial' flavour. Smooth, fruity, easy-drinking, with a slight sweetness and a more restrained 'tang' than the Gray's. Another winner.

Reddaway's Whisky Cask - I'm not a huge fan of Whisky Cask matured ciders, so I was pleased that the Whisky character was barely perceptible in this one. A smooth, subtle cider, with a very slight vinegar taint. Not bad.

Upper House - A good dry and smooth, bittersweet cider, suffering with a slight 'Mouse' taint. Mouse is a common fault in ciders, giving a slightly musty flavour which can add a welcome complexity at very low levels, but this was a little too pronounced.

Swallowfield Perry - A lovely subtle fruitiness, in a very well made, rich perry. Excellent.

Heck's Brown's Apple - A very pleasant, richly sweet cider, which unfortunately didn't show much in the way of Brown's Apple character to my taste.

The 4 O'Clock alarm was the signal to move the party onto the Swan & Rushes, where the cider and perrys had more of a 'Three Counties' theme. Time was short, and tasting notes had been abandoned by now. I tried the Ross-on-Wye Foxwhelp Blend, the Minchews Perry, and a Westcroft Dry Cider. Three cheers for the bar staff, (un)suitably attired as they were in full 'Country-Bumpkin' regalia. Except Richard who perhaps wisely refused!

Another excellent festival from both pubs, and there's still plenty of time to try the ciders yet if you haven't already had the chance.

Best Cellar

The cellar at the Criterion, Leicester, stacked with tasty ciders and perrys for the Cheese & Cider Festival which started today. Now why can't all pub cellars look like this? .... all the time!

A sneaky Swallowfields Perry was enjoyed during the taking of this photo. More extensive sampling commences tomorrow.

Leicester - Capital of Cider & Perry

Leicestershire's pubs are going cider crazy in July, and we're muscling in on the act with our own ciders featuring at three of them.

This weekend sees the start of a joint Cider & Cheese Festival at the Criterion Freehouse and Swan & Rushes, both in Leicester's city centre. The ciders and perrys have arrived, and the cheese knives are being sharpened for what promises to be a celebration of one of the culinary worlds greatest combinations.

Why the food and drink media so consistently ignore this combination is beyond me. Cheese and wine is just so Abigail's Party. Beer and cheese, do me a favour! Since when did the bitterness of hops enhance a cheese? No, it's the sharp, fruitiness of cider that cuts through and compliments cheese, and the sooner the legions of pretentious wine and beer writers get up to speed with this fact, the better for everyone's digestive systems.

Hot off the press we have the cider and perry list for the Criterion's weekend offering. There's even an Apple Wheat Beer so that un-reconstructed hop-heads don't feel left out. There's also a box of Rockingham Forest Cider in reserve, and there may be an additional Thatchers cider or two on the day.

I'll try to add the Swan & Rushes cider list when Grant pulls his finger out and writes it up. Going on past form, there should be some rare and interesting ciders and perrys at the Swan. Grant's a bit of a Cheese-Geek too, so expect something creamy and special to spread on your crackers...

I'll be weaving between the two pubs all-day Friday (though note that the Criterion's festival kicks off on Thursday), and may bring a bottle of our Rockingham Forest Slider for sampling. If you see me, stop me and try one.

July - 'National Cider Festival Month'

It's official (1), July has been designated National Cider Festival Month. Yay!

I say 'National', to be fare we're talking mostly about the East Midlands..... Leicesterhire and Northamptonshire to be exact. Nevertheless, the hot and humid month of July is literally awash with cider festivals, which is jolly good news for those of us who like cider..... obviously!

The inaugural National Cider Festival Month (which is official (1) remember) kicks off with a Pork & Cider Festival (3rd - 5th) at the Victoria Inn in Northampton. 22 ciders are promised, along with 20 different varieties of sausage and other porky delights. Mmm! Pork, Cider, the classic combination. Killjoys can eat vegetarian fare and drink beer if they so choose.

There are no cider festivals that we know of the following weekend, but if you're getting withdrawal there's the Derby CAMRA Beer Festival (8th - 12th) to help plug the gap. A '...big range of ciders...' is promised, and I'm reasonably confident there will be some perry too.

Things take a turn for the better the following weekend, when the excellent Criterion Freehouse teams up with the equally fine Swan & Rushes to host a Cider & Cheese Festival (16th - 19th). Mmm! Cider, Cheese, a classic combination... you get the idea! We'll be sending two ciders to the Criterion for this well-established festival.

The final fling of the month is a new event at the award-winning Cow & Plough in Oadby, Leics. Over 30 ciders are promised here, with live bands, a BBQ, and free camping helping to make a weekend of it. We will also be sending a couple of ciders to this event.

So there you have it, cider festivals are King, and July will be the month when cider takes it's rightful place on the 'throne of delicious drinking'... OK, that'll do for now.

(1) - An official Rockingham Forest Cider promotion!

It's a Tannin Thing

I've been comparing and contrasting our two current ciders, Sulgrave Orchard and Rockingham Forest Cider. Perhaps the most obvious difference is in their appearance.

The Sulgrave Orchard Cider was made from a blend of several different varieties of dessert apples. It's pale yellow in colour, and now virtually crystal clear in the glass. In contrast, the Rockingham Forest Cider, which was made from a blend of mostly cider apples, has a very slight haze, and a rich golden colour. In my experience, ciders made from cider apples are often a little hazier than those made from dessert and culinary fruit. I'm not entirely sure why this should be, possibly something to do with the higher levels of pectin in cider apples which can lead to a natural haziness in the finished cider. The colour difference is a little more easy to explain, it's down to the presence of Tannin.

Cider apples are split into four main classifications, Sharps, Sweets, Bittersharps and Bittersweets. It's the latter two that we are particularly interested in, since the 'bitter' part of the classification refers to the high levels of tannin in the fruit. This is the flavour compound which gives West-Country ciders their distinctive rich flavour, but it's also the part which turns the apple juice a deep brown colour when freshly pressed. Fermentation seems to purge some of this oxidised tannin from the juice, but it's the tannin which remains that gives our cider it's attractive golden colour.

Here's my tasting notes from this evening's sampling, though do bare in mind that these ciders are still quit young, and the flavour will change and mellow throughout the year. Also, the current batch of Rockingham Forest Cider contains a higher percentage of sharp fruit than later batches will have, and is perhaps more of a halfway point between the two styles than a pure West-Country style cider.

Sulgrave Orchard Cider (6.4%) - Pale yellow like a white wine in appearance. The flavour is intensely fruity and full flavoured, but the citrusy sharpness makes for a refreshing drink, particularly when chilled. The finish is long, fruity, and the sharpness lingers on the side of the tongue. There is a slight residual sweetness.

Rockingham Forest Cider (6.4%) - Deep golden colour, sharp and fruity. Quite dry, with some astringency from the tannin. Much less sharp in the finish. A mild spicy bittersweet character, quite well balanced and easy-drinking.

You can try this current batch of Rockingham Forest Cider at the Red Lion, Middleton; and the Criterion Freehouse, Leicester. Both ciders should also be available this weekend at the Jolly Brewer, Stamford.

Local Cider for Local People

The month of May, with it's brace of Bank Holiday weekends, seems to mark the start of the Beer Festival season for many pubs. It's the promise of warmer weather, and the emergence from Winter hibernation of the less hardy Beer Garden Drinker that spurs landlords to go all beery-eyed. Of course, no beer festival is complete without a bit of traditional cider.

We've already delivered our 'LocApple' ciders to the Jolly Brewer in Stamford, ready for this weekend's LocAle Festival, and as you can see from the ever increasing list on the right of this blog, our ciders are well represented at events throughout the area this Summer. We try to keep things as local as possible, there really is very little point in sending our cider the length and breadth of the country.

We're particularly looking forward to this year's Cider & Cheese Festival in July, which is being held jointly at our regular Leicester outlet, the Criterion Freehouse, and the nearby Swan & Rushes. Both of these pubs have an excellent reputation amongst beer and cider drinkers, and it's hoped that there will be up to 30 different ciders and perrys on offer during the weekend of the festival, accompanied by a similar range of tasty cheeses! There should be no overlap of varieties, and our ciders will only be available at the Criterion.

Open for Business

Cider sales at Rockingham Forest Cider have gone from nought to sixty in less than a week. The first sixty litre fermenter of our new Sulgrave Orchard Cider has been racked off, barrelled up, and shipped out. Two barrels have been delivered to the Charotar Patidar Samaj for next weeks Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, and another box is destined for the Red Lion, Middleton, a welcome return to our village local. It's an early start to the season for us, but no sooner have we broached the first batch than orders have started to trickle in for more of the same...

The Criterion on Millstone Lane has recently been announced as Leicester CAMRA's Pub of the Year for 2009. This is the third year on the run that Russell and his team have won this prestigious award. The winning combination of fine ales and ciders, excellent pizzas, and a warm welcome have made this a hard act to follow, and we'll be helping with the celebrations by delivering a box of Sulgrave Orchard Cider later this week. We hope that this should be available during the Leicester Beer Festival weekend.

Hardy northern folk Ray & Gail of Mansfield & Ashfield CAMRA, are also keen to secure a box of our cider for the forthcoming Mansfield Beer & Cider Festival. Ray & Gail are also the formidable team behind the Hucknall Cider Co, producers of the multi award-winning Torkard Cider, a true taste of locally grown Nottinghamshire fruit. I think it's safe to say that these two know a thing or two about cider, and I hope they like our Sulgrave Orchard Cider, a genuine Northamptonshire cider.

We're also currently looking into the possibility of supplying our cider to another highly regarded Leicestershire alehouse. More details soon...

Cider & Cheese

The 4th Criterion Cider & Perry Festival presented me with a bit of a dilemma. Not which ciders to choose from the great list Russell and Karen had put together, nor whether to sample the last of our Welland Valley Special which had already sold out by the time I arrived on Saturday. The dilemma was choosing between the dozen or so delicious farmhouse cheeses, or reverting to form with the equally appealing stonebaked pizzas. Hmm!

Cider and cheese are of course a perfect combination (though cider and pizza are a pretty good match too), so I plumped for a few chunks of Cornish Yarg and Cornish Blue, accompanied by a selection of biscuits and crackers, and a half of the lusciously sweet Heck's Dabinett & Honey. Heck's are a very well respected Somerset cidermaker which specialise in a wide range of single variety ciders and perrys. The rich tannins of the Dabinett apple with the toothsome sweetness of the honey made this a real sippin' cider.

I also tried the refreshingly bone-dry Orchards Cider, J Edwards Strawberry Norman Cider, which was as nice as it sounds, perrys from Troggi of Wales and Moore's of Gloucestershire, and a very well balanced Welsh cider from Watkins. I didn't try our own Rockingham Forest Cider, there's plenty of that at home to try!

Like buses, Summer beer and cider festivals usually arrive in pairs, so off we went to the Queen Victoria Booze & Blues Festival for a few more ciders in the small courtyard garden. I tried the Gwynt-Y-Ddraig Perry and the Gwatkin Kingston Black Cider, a very good example of single variety cider made from this famous cider apple variety. There were quite a few beers on offer here too, including a Rhubarb Beer which seemed to be the talk of the festival. Here we were entertained by a very good solo performer whose name escaped me, before being whisked home by Karen, the designated driver of the day. Here's a short video of him pleasuring the crowd with Crossroads...

Criterion Cider & Cheese Festival

One of our regular outlets the Criterion Freehouse in Leicester, has now moved into the digital age with a natty new website: http://www.criterion-freehouse.co.uk/.

The Criterion is one of a handful of Leicester city-centre pubs which can be relied on to always offer a good range of cider and perry, in addition to the real ales. On a recent visit I enjoyed a Yarlington Mill cider from well respected Herefordshire producer Dennis Gwatkin. The team at the Criterion have a long-standing commitment to offering real ciders and perrys, and back this up with a successful Cider & Cheese Festival in the Summer.

This year's festival, which is now less than two weeks away (17th - 20th July), will be the fourth, and should feature a dozen or more ciders and perrys including a few from Wales. We will be delivering the last barrel of this year's Welland Valley Special Cider for the festival. If you missed it at the Welland Valley Beer Festival, this will be your last chance to try this fruity local cider before the new season in 2009.

I'm looking forward to visiting the festival over the weekend, and trying some of those delicious cheeses, which are of course the perfect accompaniment to a glass of cider or perry.

Pulling Power

Todays blog entry comes to you with a pint-glass full of mixed emotions. On the one hand it's hard to find anything positive to say about the dreadful capitulation of the (once) mighty Leicester Tigers RFC, to an admittedly sparky performance from the Ospreys at Twickenham today. A thoroughly depressing spectacle witnessed from the bar of our local the Red Lion.

The Red Lion in Middleton has recently changed hands, and the new licensees are keen to offer a more local choice of ales than has previously been available. This weekend I've enjoyed a few pints of Wot's Occuring and Wagtail from our local Great Oakley brewery, and this has certainly helped to cushion the blow of today's dissapointing rugby result. The Red Lion will be one of the 10 pubs which participate in the Welland Valley Beer Festival in June, and we hope to have our ciders available here during the event.

Another positive for today was the delivery of a couple of bag-in-boxes of our cider to the Criterion Freehouse in Leicester. The picture shows Anna, one of the hard-working Criterion barstaff pulling a pint of this year's Rockingham Forest Cider. Anna is apparently rather camera-shy, so I'd like to thank her for posing for this shot.

The cider range at the Criterion is a moveable feast, with probably the best choice of quality traditional ciders available in Leicestershire. We now aim to supply our cider to the Criterion throughout the Summer, and will also be delivering cider to the Hatton Arms, Gretton from tomorrow, more of which later.

To paraphrase a well used footballing cliche, very much a weekend of two halves!