I am sure we have all at one time or another dreamed of giving up city life and becoming self sufficient, this is, once again, becoming more and more popular. We have recently got involved with a great family business who did just that, and lucky for all of us, the fruit of there labours is a range of fabulous Ciders and Perrys.
Dunkertons is a family company started in 1980 by Susie and Ivor Dunkerton. Having escaped from London they set about try to make a smallholding of eighteen acres viable. Cider it seems was the answer. Herefordshire then had one dominant cider company but, unlike Somerset had few farm producers, The Dunkertons saw an opportunity to make unique cider whiles operating more like a vineyard and without depending on concentrates or chemicals. During their first years Susie and Ivor did everything from shovelling apples and loading their original 1930’s Hydraulic Press on their own, but were relieved when Robert (now chief cider maker), joined them from the vegetable garden where he originally came to work. Now the pressing through to bottling is carried out by Robert, Jeremy, Paul and Roger, while Susie and Ivor enjoy tasting and blending, overseeing the business and carrying through expansion plans. While Susie and Ivor have had to work extremely hard for their business they have not regretted escaping from London, when I spoke to them recently they were happily blanching their fresh peas for freezer and embracing the good life.
in stock now:
Black Fox – £2.79
From traditional cider apples grown in organic orchards.
Premium Organic- £2.79
Made from organic apples grown in Herefordshire free from harmful chemicals. Wildlife can flourish in the environmentally sustainable system. The apples will be a blend of cider varieties, some ancient like Sheeps Nose, Brown Snout, and Foxwhelp, and some modern like “Improved” Kingston Black, and Balls Bitter Sweet.
Organic Perry – £3.00
From traditional Perry pears grown in unsprayed orchards.
You really should have been there………………
There are tastings and then there are tastings and last month we served up the most phenomenal Italian Masterclass in the company of Michael Palij, Master of Wine, who steered us through some of his most recent discoveries (notably a Sardinian quartet which provided all the evidence you need of the revolution taking place in the island’s vineyards and cellars).
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