Orchards are mentioned in the "Odyssey" as early as 900BC, and apple trees, cultivated by the Druids, albeit for their propensity to host mistletoe, were already thriving here. The crab-apple varieties were probably the first to provide a rustic drink made by the Celts but it was the French, following the Norman invasion in 1066, who brought many of our favourite apple varieties to Britain and gave added impetus to the production of cider,
Climatically the south of England has always been similar to that of Brittany in northern France, where cider making was already well established. It was somewhat obvious therefore that our southern counties would soon become widely planted with Pearmain and Costard apples, two favourites amongst the many other varieties imported here. Today there is said to be a different cider apple for each day of the year.
The relatively unsophisticated method used to make real cider meant that anyone with a supply of apples could do it reasonably successfully, many literally enjoying the fruits of their labour the following summer, slaking their thirst during harvest time.
There are four main types of cider apple, "sweet" , "bittersweet" ,
"bittersharp" and "sharp" . Bittersweets and bittersharps are naturally tannic, but each has a differing flavour characteristic of either sweetness or acidity. Many cider makers will use a blend of each type, although single apple or "varietal" cider is beginning to enjoy a higher profile.
Traditionally when picked cider apples would have been stored in a dry loft or "tallet" allowing the fruit to ripen further prior to being crushed to pulp in a crude mill device known as a "scratter" .
Regional differences in the methods used to "press" the pulp give a clear indication of how insular the cider making exponents were. In Somerset and Gloucestershire, both thought by many to be the spiritual home of real cider, the pulp was layered onto straw mats, whilst in Herefordshire horsehair was used. Elsewhere, thick cloth or muslin was layered with pulped apple to form a "stack" the resulting "cheese" being then pressed by hand.
Barrels were much sought after to store the pressed juice. The proximity of ports like Bristol gave the occasional opportunity to obtain second-hand "puncheons" used to import West Indian rum or "pipes" the preferred containers for the port wine from Portugal, each adding an additional nuance to the cider.
The pressed apple juice was then left to "fret" inside the barrel until fermentation was fully completed, often by the following springtime. Occasionally the cider may have been "keeved" the liquid being racked off its lees to obtain a finer, clearer drink, but this was by no means widespread, many preferring the cloudier "scrumpy" style.
The current legal limit for cider strength is 8.5% alcohol by volume which compares very favourably with beer and lager, although most come to market around 5-6%. It is possible with "chaptalisation" (the addition of sugar to the must) to achieve a level of 12-14%; the resulting product is then diluted with water. This process is naturally frowned upon by traditionalists and considered unacceptable.
Perry, the fermented juice of pears, has only a tiny production in the UK, representing only 5% of the cider sales.
Today, commercial cider production in the UK is dominated by a couple of major manufacturers, their clear, bright, sparkling offerings, usually the only cider on offer in both pubs and supermarkets nationwide. Unfortunately, this clear, bright, sparkling product, often made with imported apple concentrate, filtered clear and tainted with additives, colourings and preservatives is a far cry from the unadulterated, clear expression of fermented apple juice that Real Cider should be.
There are however 154 independent Real Cider producers spread across 35 counties in the British Isles. These are mostly very small (farm gate sales only) businesses, who very rarely distribute their cider a greater distance than the local pubs close to the orchards themselves.
In 1981 fifth generation Sussex farmer John Pile, looking for an additional attraction for his already successful farm shop, took a momentous journey down to the cider orchards of Somerset and Devon. Returning with four barrels of Real Cider, unwittingly a national collection had begun.
Today son-in-law Rod Marsh, a former Nottinghamshire stonemason is the hands-on curator of the National Collection of Cider and Perry, housed at a bustling 625-acre working farm at Firle in East Sussex.
It's not exactly clear at which point an interest becomes a passion, but today Rod and his wife Helen now proudly offer a staggering 250 different examples of Cider and Perry in a refurbished stable block, that makes an appropriate showcase for this unique shop.
Ranks of draught cider barrels ranging from dry to sweet in finish, with evocative names like "Doublevision" "Snakecatcher and "Rumpy Pumpy Scrumpy" are available for the visitor to taste before they buy. There is a cider to suit everyone, including at some times of the year an early variety named Morgan Sweet which is ready by Christmas following the harvest in September, a sort of Cider Nouveau if you please!
Rod is passionate about the integrity of Real Cider and talks with conviction about the image of cider, the grubbing up of orchards and the less than assured future of his favourite drink.
The collection however is thriving, a massive 21% increase in sales compared to last year, a whopping 50,000 gallons, clear testament to Cider's popularity when readily available in choice, quality and quantity.
Real Cider is part of our heritage, a natural drink still made by real people, in limited quantities, unbowed by mass commercialism and hype. We should all celebrate men and women like Rod and Helen Marsh, and their cider-making friends, who through their passion are perpetuating something good, something real, something eminently British.
Some Bittersweet Apples
Brown Snout
Yarlington Mill
Kingston Black
Chisel Jersey
Knotted Kernel
Fillbarrel
Tramlett's Bitter
Some Bittersharp Apples
Brownlee's Russet
Foxwhelp
Porter's Perfection
English Codlin
Hoary Morning
Greenup's Pippin
Gloucestershire Costard
The National Collection of Cider and Perry
Middle Farm, Firle, East Sussex
BN8 6LJ
Tel: 01323 811324
Open: Seven days a week 10am-5pm
Email: cider@middlefarm.com
Web: www.middlefarm.com
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