I founded Thompstone's Cider in 2003 to produce cider from small Devonshire orchards whose unique crops were falling into obsolescence as a result of the inappropriate schemes of the soil association. Cost of certification had become so high and the 'organic' label such a premium that crops from many of the tiny orchards dotted throughout the area had become undesirable to larger producers and could be found rotting on the ground in the winter months.
Seeing this as an unnecessary waste I set out to learn the craft and provide a wholesome alternative to the heavily sulphited and fizzy ciders that fill the shelves of farmers markets and supermarkets alike.
My aims were simply quality, strength and purity.
Andy Thompstone
How Thompstone's Cider is made
At Thompstone's Cider we endeavour to uphold tradition and the values of the artisan to create products that have quality, strength and purity.
Our apples are hand picked which avoids foul fruit and the contaminating micro-organisms they bring to the juice.
The apples are pressed using a large rack and cloth type press made in 1860 by Beer and Sons. an agricultural engineering firm from Newton Abbot. It extracts the maximum juice from every apple using slow application of high pressure from its water driven hydraulic system.
The juice is fermented using only the wild yeast present on the apples when they are picked and those that have collected on the press. Our early experiments indicated that this maintains higher levels of antioxidants in the cider than if commercial yeasts are added. We use plastic containers during the fermentation stage as they are relatively cheap and easy to clean. It is our desire to progress towards using stainless steel vessels which are more neutral towards the flavour and impervious to air which allows acetification.
The ferment is allowed to stop naturally producing a dry cider in which all fermentable sugars have been converted to alcohol. It is quite against our ethos to use chemicals to stop the cider at a chosen point of sweetness but sparkling French style keeved ciders are something we are keen to produce.
Where Thompstone's Cider Apples Come From
The first ciders produced by Thompstone's Cider used apples from the estates of Hood Barton and Higher Burne thanks to the generosity of their owners Hillary H. White and Angus Mackay. Both orchards were in a state of near dereliction and had not been harvested for some years.
Hood produced a fine dry cider and Higher Burne very interesting scrumpy that refused to clear and packed the infamous Devonian punch of its forebears.
Since those days we have gone on to collect apples from other small estates and homes in our area as long as we can be sure no chemicals or unregulated beasts have been allowed onto the land. Some blending of fruit between orchards has occurred although this is not our aim as we wish to preserve and venerate the unique individual qualities of each estate with our range of ciders.
In 2008 the orchards of Hood and Higher Burne failed and we turned to the nearby Barkingdon for all our apples. So this year sees the return of single estate practice to Thompstone's Cider.
The Lodge of the Tripple Apple?
The Lodge is not only the home of Thompstone's cider but also a club formed by the Cidermaster for his friends to enjoy the fruits of their inspiration and labours which have launched his dream.
After its birth in 2005 the Lodge began to acquire certain renown for its aesthetic values and principles. In January 2007 the lodge held their first Wassail meeting in the Hood Barton orchard. The meeting was a great success and lent favour to the idea of recapturing more of the forgotten ceremonies of our past.
This year the lodge has undertaken the formation of its own calendar of celebrations based on the pagan calendar of the Celts. There will be eight formal meetings to recognize the values of those times and the passing of the year.
1. Lortnoc (Imbolc Feb 2nd)
2. Easter (Spring Equinox Mar 20th)
3. Membrane (Beltane May 1st)
4. Cider Fest (Summer Solstice Jun 21st)
5. Loonacy (Lughnasadh Aug 1st)
6. Harvest Festival (Autumn Equinox Sep 22nd)
7. Halloween (Samhain Nov 1st)
8. Yule Feast (Winter Solstice Dec 21st)
The Wassail will make a ninth meeting with its unique appley flavour.
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Thompstone's Cider 
