Ashridge Cider - the photos

At last, the belated photos!

Our guest judge at this years Bath & West Show was Monsieur Raymond Blanc who has the massive job of deciding the best ciders in one of the largest categories. (As the shows gets bigger, this gets more difficult so well done sir) and he decided that the Ashridge Vintage Sparkling Brut was his favourite and chose to crown it Supreme Champion Cider and awarded it the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers Perpetual Cup of the show.

I had the honour of judging the international classes this year along with Andrew Lea and Martin Thatcher. Somehow its an appropriate section for me to be judging given my current travels for cider and I feel safe under the expert tutelage of vastly more experienced judges, particularly in this tricky category where completely different styles have to compete against each other somehow...

I haven't tried the Devon Blush or the Sparkling Vintage Brut (yet!) but I shall and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Delicious

Ray's fav

L-R: Andrew Lea (awe inspiring cider expert) & Bill Bradshaw (general buffoon)

Supreme Champion Cider cup

Monsieur Raymond Blanc (honhehon)

"..the best cider I've tasted in a long time, made in Devon, called Ashridge Sparkling Cider."

Ashridge heaven - how to steer the cider.

With an absence of a full two months since my last post, I must apologise. I have been inundated with work, family duties and holiday. That may make me sound rested and well off but somehow it never quite works out that way...

Anyhow, following the success of Ashridge Cider whose bottle fermented 2010 vintage won Supreme Champion Cider at this years Royal Bath and West Show, I stumbled across several bottles of their 2010 Organic Vintage (in a Spar of all places!) whilst camping in Devon recently and was blown away with just how tasty it is. I have been told that "Cider from Devon was like the people from Devon... rather simple" (which of course I found amusing being both childish and from neighbouring Somerset.) The truth of course is that Cider has a long and well documented history in Devon that you just can't ignore. West of Somerset, both Devon and Cornwall are littered with ports from which many of our most famous names (including Drake & Raleigh) sailed from. With both the finance to produce it and the need to travel with it, large quantities of cider were made and doubtless consumed on these wealthy maritime family estates during 17th century. On opening my first bottle after a hard days camping in the south Devon drizzle with a three year old, I discovered it to be everything but simple -a deliciously complex cider and with lot of balls, balanced and refreshing. Its a drink you could have the most long and stimulating conversation with. Indeed, if it could talk, it would inspire me to be a better person (a characteristic that appeals to me in any fermented beverage.) I would highly recommend hunting some down, buying a case and setting sail. Apparently it contains 25-30 varieties of traditional cider apples and once crushed, the apples are left for 24hours to macerate before being pressed. This increases the flavour, colour, clarity and I promise you, its certainly worth the extra effort.

Its a great example of how to make a great artisan cider. Cidermaker and proprietor Jason has been making cider there since 1998 but it tastes like he's been doing it forever. He was already a serious enthusiast when he bought Barkington Farm and met a chap called Cyril Trenchard who was, by the sounds of it, the sort the likes of which I don't think they make many of these days. Cyril used to press the apples for the previous owner of the farm, he owned and maintained the mill and press and taught Jason a lot about making cider the traditional way. Old timers have a way of inspiring people and I look forward to meeting them most. Hailing from a background in bio-chemistry, Jason professes to "have always attempted to combine the sound traditional methods of cider making with a full understanding of the chemistry involved in the process. This enables me to steer the cider rather than follow it..." Quite right too, all us artisan types benefit from a bit of science to counteract the soul. 

Anyway, as I was on holiday I didn't take any photos of the bottles. Jason has said he'll send me some and as soon as he does, I'll post photos too so you can ogle at them jealously!

The Royal Bath & West; the greatest (cider) show on earth!

If you're luck enough grow up in the countryside you might relate to the joy and nostalgia of a visit to an agricultural show. For many they are a part of life, especially if if your not from a farming background in which case they tend to hold a little more wonder and a chance to experience the best of the best agriculturally. On half terms and holidays, the Royal Bath & West Show was about being amazed with the things I saw. What always surprised me, was the size of the bollocks on the bulls- a fascination that still prevails today. It still makes me chuckle and I'm still impressed if a little jealous. The other thing that attracted me back year on year was the more-available-than-usual booze. I remember my honorary grandfather supplying me with as many Babycham samples as my friends and I could guzzle on heady half-term afternoons behind a marquee.... Surely, the combination of giant testicles and sweet perry based alcohol is the best kind of marketing there is? The show has a really long relationship with cider, far too long to go into in a single post, but this year gave local historian Alan Stone the chance to launch his most recent publication 'Cider at the Bath & West Show.' For those of you who might be interested, its a modestly priced small booklet outlining the relationship between the show and cider which started in 1777, and yes, cider was an important part of it right from the start (arguably probably more important then than it is now...)

Since 2005 I have been lucky enough to have a presence in the best tent on site - the Cider and Orchards tent. I can found there annually with a small display of my photos and a large amount of business cards blabbering about on about cider and how much I love it. The tent hosts the largest cider competition in the world over 400 entries this year and growing year on year. Its a place where fans and industry can get together over 4 days,  really tune in, bitch about whatever their beef is at that time and catch up.

Amongst the 40,000 visitors to the show, we get a really encouraging mix of patronage, endorsements and guests visiting the Cider and Orchards each year. Recent notables include dignitaries such as The Bishop of Bath & Wells, The Countess of Wessex, Lord (Tom) King, Lord (Julian) Fellows of West Stafford, sleb chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittenstall & Mark Hix, as well as the cream of the UK cider community that travel across the country to spend the day. There are workshops for grafters, orcharders, worshops for amateur cidermakers who need help with their cider by Andrew Lea. There are free tutored cider tasting sessions twice a day run by the cidermakers. Talks on historical aspects and folklore of cider by the likes of James Crowden. In 2008 we even had 3 inches of water running through the tent like a stream. This year a lifetime achievement award for services to cider was given to Frank Naish, the oldest cidermaker in UK who still makes cider every year and he's 87. Good on you sir! He was invited to guest judge the farmhouse entries (he likes it dry.)


His medal was presented by old friend, neighbour and best-festival-ever legend Michael Eavis. 
We've even got the most successful bar, run by the South West of England Cider Makers Association that sells 60 or more ciders and perries, in half pints, and works so well that manages to earn more and contribute more to the Bath & West fund than any other on site (which goes some way to help when making requests for extra space and improved facilities. Long live the cider bar!)

Rather than typing up the results of the competition, I decided I should photograph the sheets using my images as a backdrop. Yes, its lazier, but its also more a more creative approach. Finding new ways to photograph things is part of the job and its these were taken on my phone (as Chase Jarvis says, the best camera is the one you have with you... nice one Chase)