Chesterfield & District Campaign for Real Ale

Cider and Perry - May the Fourth be with you!
From: InnSpire - Issue 64 – December 2006

Episode I
The day started foggy but with good prospects, as the 29 seater TM Travel bus, for the first cider/perry trip of this years’ campaign was fully booked. Illness (and 1 better offer) reduced our number to 25, but that would still be enough to keep our campaign bar staff busy.

We jumped on the bus and after seeing my excellent Star Trek impression, trying to collect money as the bus went round and round Horns Bridge Island, the mood was set for heading to The Hay at Shirland.

Stalwarts of our campaign, Malcolm and Janey had 2 ciders on for our delectation. Moles Black Rat, always a fave with everybody who tries it (especially me) and Weston’s Vintage Organic. Black Rat is cloudy and what you might call a rough cider, the vintage is clear and much smoother. There was a debate going on about which one was sweeter… I think it depended on which you tried first. Rhoda our chairman didn’t like either.

Some of our set that have been on the trips before, drunk pints and swore ‘never again’ had obviously forgotten. From my point of view the more we helped to drink the better. I admire and thank their bravery.

Then it was on to our National Cider Pub of the Year, The Old Poets’ Corner in Ashover. The pub was already fairly busy, so our busload just filled up the corners nicely. Kim and Jackie had 8 ciders and a perry on, which we were all passing round to try as many as humanly possible. The cameras were out too… always dangerous after a few drinks. And at last, you heard it here first, we found a cider that Rhoda liked and would drink (its only taken 4 years). The Troggi Dry was a big success with quite a few of the group; someone ought to let them know about their new prestigious fan!

Andy being my official photographer managed to get me a trip down the cellar. All the cider/perry was down there keeping cool and picture evidence was required. I even got to hold the National Cider Pub Certificate… an honour indeed!

We have picture evidence of even the hardest beer drinkers giving in to fruity goodness, and everyone just generally having a good time. - view pics

As far as I know everyone got home OK, I had complete confidence in our now regular driver from TM Travel. Simon always looks after us to the highest standard. Not sure who put coppers in the whip round I had for him, but I’ll let them off as they probably couldn’t tell a coin from a key by that stage.

So it just leaves me to give the necessary thanks for this instalment of the campaign trail:
*Big thanks to Malcolm, Janey and the gang at The Hay for their continued support and good work for the campaign.
*And the same to Kim, Jackie and the gang at The Old Poets’, whose recognition for their good work has gone beyond our wildest dreams.
*To Simon and the gang at TM Travel, who are always prepared to ferry us around the countryside (You might laugh at this, but not all bus companies are…)
*To Andy, my official photographer, PA and Psychiatrist (couldn’t do it without you!)
*And of course to the gang who accompanied us on this most excellent adventure.

Episode II

Far be it from me to condone cider drinking on a school night, but our campaign trail found it necessary to partake on Thursday 19^th October.

Our good ole National Cider Pub of the Year (if anyone doesn’t know by now it’s The Old Poets’ Corner at Ashover), were having people over who really know their fruit.

These were none other than Ray Blockley, Cider Rep for Mansfield and Ashfield CAMRA and his partner Gail, Editor of ‘Booze News’ and Branch Committee Member. Passionate about making their own cider and being interested in the science and history of it, they came to share their wisdom.

So with a thirst for knowledge (and samples), a gang of us set off from town to attend this presentation, and what a treat it was. Kim & Jackie had at least 7 ciders and a perry on, a couple of which differed from the previous Saturday night when we last attended. We crammed into the function room upstairs, and I mean crammed… it was full (16 courtesy of Chesterfield CAMRA), which was great to see.

The first half of Ray’s presentation focussed on the history of the apple & pear, where they came from, how they spread, how they pollinate, what cider can be used for, varieties, and very importantly the difference between mass produced ‘cider & perry’ and the real thing…. we had a lesson in Geography, Botany, Biology, Chemistry, Marketing and History all in 45 minutes!

In the break there were 3 jugs of liquid for everyone to try, using small juice glasses of course, while Ray & Gail advised and answered a barrage of questions.

Part 2 was the nitty gritty – how they make their cider. I’m sure anyone who’s had a go would’ve picked up some useful tips from this, and it was fascinating to learn about how the fermentation works, what can be (and is) added to some ciders, and the one thing I think we all know… air is bad!

Ray also gave us a list of what to look out for if the cider is off. There is a misconception that real cider & perry is supposed to be foul, but it isn’t and there are real clues you can look out for:
* Acid or vinegar taste
* ‘Sherry’ Odour
* Thin white film on the surface
* Thick and syrup like
* Long thread-like organisms
* ‘Pear drop’ odour
* Stringy, brown mass
* Smells like mice
If you notice anything like these, take it back!

A handout to finish off that listed useful facts and websites, not least www.ukcider.co.uk . This is updated regularly and is a mine of information (don’t join the email group though unless you got loads of free reading time!)

Then with more samples from the bar afterwards (these weren’t free), everyone had a jolly good night.

Thanks to everyone who came along, to Ray & Gail for a fab presentation and to Kim & Jackie for hosting it. Ray would like to say ‘thanks to your group for being so appreciative and such a good audience. Makes it all worthwhile!’ Oh, and Rhoda now has 2 ciders that she likes! - see the pics.

Friday 27^th October saw the end of the 2006 Cider/Perry campaign. The last trip of 3, which is a record, started in the Derby Tup. Brendan & Hilary had on their usual Old Rosie and Biddenden Dry and the extra Cheddar Valley, which was a wonderful orange colour. It was very good for the medium palate but a couple of people decided to try a mix of that and the Biddenden. This was the start of the downhill slippery slope to oblivion!

After this sampling, we got on Ian’s bus to continue our trail. Geoff decided he & Arissa would meet us at the next pub after cocking up the pick up arrangements …. and that was before a drink!

Off we went to The Royal Oak at Millthorpe. It didn’t take as long to get there as I’d thought, so we were able to stay longer than planned. The slippery slope got slippier.

The Woodthorpe Owd Barker had settled nicely from being delivered the previous Sunday. It was much smoother and nearly the whole group liked it. Some liked it a little too much, especially when the man responsible, Dick Shepley, turned up and started buying it for them. An ABV was difficult to guess, and quickly became impossible……..

The bus, now at full 15 strength, made it’s way back to town for our final stop at The Industry on Queen Street. 2 ciders were on courtesy of Pauline and Stewart, Moles Black Rat and 3 Cats Cider. I had the 3 Cats first; it deceives you into thinking its medium then hits you with a dry aftermath. I then went onto the Black Rat, an old favourite and always consistently good. The trip had coincided with Pauline’s birthday so there was food available… good soak up food like butties and stuff. Some of the group needed it more than others (you mad lot who had 2 pints of Owd Barker!).

Ian the bus driver man went beyond the call of duty. When it was time he took those who live out of town home first, then came back to pick up any townies that wanted a lift (what a guy). One person needed guiding to the bus, but 4 of the group stayed behind to join the private birthday party that continued. Everyone got home OK and that’s the main thing, but I’m sure there were some sore heads the next day for one reason or another - just take a look at the photos...

So a big thank you to:
*Brendan and Hilary at the Derby Tup for their continued support for the campaign
*Steve, Bob and the team, and of course Dick Shepley for the Owd Barker at The Royal Oak Millthorpe
*Pauline and Stewart at The Industry for joining the campaign offering cider and food
*Ian the bus driver man for being a star as ever.

And thanks to everyone who came on the trips or helped in any way to make the campaign a success for the 4th year running. Couldn’t, and wouldn’t do it without you.

On a mild autumn Sunday morning a group of cider fans set out to visit Woodthorpe Hall, near Holmesfield, where, at this time of year, Dick Shepley makes his own cider.
	When we arrived, there was a small army of helpers swarming around and the production line was in full swing.
Boxes and sacks of apples litter the paths, ready to be processed. Firstly the apples are sorted and tipped into bins for washing.
	Next they are chopped and pulped ready for the cider press.
The pulp is then made into a ‘cheese’ – wrapped in hessian and placed in the cider press, which is then brought into action.
	As the press is screwed down, the apple juice gushes out and is collected ready for fermentation.
The main purpose of our visit was to collect a tub of ‘Owd Barker’ and transport it over the hill and down to the Royal Oak at Millthorpe, ready for the cider trip the following Friday.
	After a quick photo-call of the award-winning cider, the tub was carefully loaded onto the custom-made stretcher and, with a strong man at each corner (the females of the party were there for moral support and gate-opening duties), the cavalcade set forth
Fortunately the transport was relatively uneventful, apart from an encounter with a narrow footbridge over a stream.
	And the cider arrived safely – pictured here [from l to r] are Nick Wheat, Steve Oyibo [landlord of The Royal Oak in Millthorpe], Mark Buxton, Andy "Angry" Dowson and Geoff Carroll.

Real Cider and Perry
The Healthy Option this October.
From: InnSpire - Issue 63 – October 2006

Get your healthy cider and perry from some of our local establishments as we celebrate the 4th annual cider/perry campaign this October.

...And British researchers analysing the components of cider have discovered it might be as good for you as a cup of green tea. Scrumpy is a startlingly rich source of vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, all of which protect the body from age-related degeneration… The Independent 20 December 2005

That explains why old Pomona here looks sooo good, and cider is much cheaper than Olay!

We also have in our branch area The Rutland in town who serve Weston’s Old Rosie all the time, The Arkwright Arms at Sutton-cum-Duckmanton who now regularly have at least 3 ciders on, and both Lloyds / Wetherspoons in town who sell various Weston’s ciders, Sheppy’s & others. The Bowling Green at Winster are partaking too, currently serving 5 ciders.

Please call in around those dates and try some.
Go on! Make it part of your 5 a day!

Go to our dedicated cider and perry page for more info on cider/perry and the October campaigns.

Beer Festival 2006 - Cider and Perry Review
From InnSpire - Issue 60 - April 2006

It’s very difficult to review objectively the cider and perry available at this year’s Fest, when you’re the one who ordered it. I could say ‘it was all lovely’, but this would be an obvious lie. Nobody could like all of them... Except those regular hard-core Saturday afternooners who try every single one!

The first one to sell out was the Winkleigh Autumn Scrumpy. Far too sweet for my palate, but I think it appealed to those who drink cider regularly in pubs, i.e. Strongbow. It may be advertised as dry cider but I think it’s quite sweet. So if the Winkleigh can encourage pub cider drinkers to enjoy a real cider then fab - I’d definitely consider ordering it again.

The next to sell out was Owd Barker from our local Woodthorpe Hall. This is at the other end of the scale and bit too dry for me, but we have a large contingent of punters who like it dry and crisp. We sold 2 barrels of it, so it must be a winner.
Strangely the next one to go was Ruby Soozi, again from Woodthorpe Hall. I say strangely coz it was advertised as medium sweet, which last year it was. I didn’t think it was sweet at all this time, and many of the dry cider fans were drinking it. But it won Cider of the Festival, so there can be no argument about its success!

The pic shows me presenting Dick Shepley of Woodthorpe Hall with his Cider of the Festival certificate at the March Branch meeting in the Royal Oak at Millthorpe.

The next one to sell out was the Denings Rough Cider, which I really liked. Cloudy in appearance, but very easy to drink with a pleasant fruity taste. I was very pleased with this choice. I didn’t keep up with the sell out order after that, but all the ciders went!

Bollhayes Cider was ordered as sweet but I didn’t think it was. It went down well with punters who didn’t like the medium ciders though. I’d never heard of this producer before so I would be interested to try others from them. Burrow Hill was my favourite of the Festival. I didn’t really notice the tannin, and I thought it had a really creamy aftertaste. I voted for it and would be very happy to drink it again.

Hecks is always a sure bet and this didn’t disappoint. Another inoffensive easy-going drink that I offered to any punters who were unsure about what they’d like. I don’t think any of them turned it down. Weston’s County Perry also sold out, another one for those who were unsure what they’d like. I sold some to the punters who’d been drinking the Winkleigh once it ran out; i.e. it was the next sweetest drink we had. Weston’s, like Hecks, is well known and consistent.

Holder’s Oldfield Perry I liked but probably couldn’t drink a lot of. It wasn’t popular and only started to sell when everything else ran out. Shame really, because we had loads of it. The taste was a little sharp compared to the ciders but not undrinkable. I would try it again if I saw it somewhere.

And finally, the Moore’s Perry was horrible. No doubt that it was dry as advertised, but it had a very unpleasant bitter aftertaste. It didn’t sell very well either and I’m not surprised. I would be cautious about getting perry from them in the future.

So, all in all, the ciders were successful but the perries were lacking a bit. There are so many different makes, and they can vary so much. Production is also dependent on the harvests. You can try a cider one year that you like - then never see it again. It makes knowing what to order difficult, but fun.

It’s only left to say thanks to all our Fest cider and perry drinkers. Remember – fruit is good for you!