It’s not every day that you get invited to tour an artisan cider producer so, when we were we took full advantage. We were to visit Colcombe House home of premium artisan cider brands deep in the heart of Herefordshire.
James Sheehan, Kier Rogers, Denis SheehanOn arrival a working farm presents itself and workers are busy in the orchards cutting back the apple trees to allow maximum light through. A job done manually with the help of lifting machines to allow the workers access to the full five metre height the trees grow to.
The tour was given to us by Kier Rogers, Kier is the third generation of the Rogers farming family that resides at Colcombe House. Kier is positively effervescent when talking about all things cider especially how his precious apples are grown.
Kier explained the pruning process, the irrigation and the feeding of the trees with seaweed to achieve the best possible tasting apples and cider. Nothing is overlooked at Colcombe House when it comes to producing the best cider possible and Kier is committed to precisely that.
There is history to Colcombe House a former Victorian fishing lodge, located in a secluded position on the banks of the River Wye. Just three miles downstream from Hereford Cathedral, accessed by a long private drive, it has retained a certain unique aura, given its location and the utter peace and tranquillity that it immediately conveys to any wayward visitor.
The best bit of course was tasting and there are twelve different ciders, and everyone has a story. We couldn’t try them all, but James was particularly impressed with ‘Mischief On The River’. A medium strength of 4.8% ABV with a crisp, refreshing and clean taste.
The full range of ciders available from Colcombe House can be seen on their website here
Our thanks to Kier and the team at Colcombe House for their warm welcome and a tour that was enlightening.
Denis Sheehan, Publisher, Hospitality and Catering News
