Over the past few months we have been busy planting more cider apple trees. We are thrilled to have created two new orchards by planting 250 trees. The first one is on the site of a neglected, abandoned orchard near to our Cider Works on the outskirts of Crediton. The second is a small orchard in Sandford. We have planted a mix of classic cider apple varieties that we use in our ciders and some of the rare breed apples that we’ve discovered in our DNA project with The University of Bristol. It will be about five years before we can expect a reasonable crop from these but we’re excited to be putting more trees in the ground and safeguarding the future of these varieties whilst ensuring a plentiful harvest to feed the ever-growing demand for our authentic cider.

Franklin’s Night

We will be marking Franklin’s Night again this year with a special event at our Cider Works in Crediton on Friday 15th May 2026. Franklin’s Night is based on an old folklore that suggests a brewer called Franklin, who was keen to reduce the availability of cider, made a pact with the devil to send a frost in May to hit the cider apple blossom. In order to enjoy a bountiful crop of apples, there has to be a healthy blossom coverage in the spring. To avoid this late freeze, the old story goes, the cider maker needed to throw the devil off the bridge! The evening kicks off at 6.00pm on 15th May and will celebrate this traditional folklore with a play from the Mummers, depicting the tale, and live music from Skimmity Hitchers. Stone baked pizzas will be available to purchase and there will be plenty of cider, of course! Tickets cost £15.00 (over 18s only) and can be bought here.

Devon Red in Sainsbury’s

We are delighted to announce that, as demand continues to grow, year on year, our Devon Red Cider is now available in Sainsbury’s stores across the South West. Our hugely popular Devon Red is already available in Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op and Spar Convenience Stores, as well as other retailers and hospitality venues across the country. We’ve come a long way since Barny made early versions of Devon Red on his kitchen table but we are still true to our core mission to make authentic, great tasting cider. It just so happens that it is more readily available now for all our customers new and old.

British Cider Week

British Cider Week (24th April – 4th May) celebrates the depth and diversity of British cider. The week features events across the country hosted by a wide range of producers, from new young startups to traditional producers with generations of heritage. We are always keen to bring the joy of cider to as many people as possible so we were delighted to be part of British Cider Week and its efforts to celebrate and promote cider to a wider audience. As part of the celebrations, following on from the sell-out success of last year Barny opened up the cellar for an intimate Tour of the Barrels on 1st May. Those lucky enough to get hold of one of those exclusive tickets got behind the scenes access, and the chance to taste juice from rare and unknown apple varieties and small batch ciders that may never see the light of day. They also had a chance to chat to Barny and the cider makers and pick their brains on all things cider over a delicious cheese and charcuterie platter.

Spotlight on Devon Mist

Devon Mist (ABV 4.5%) is our glorious, hazy cider. Less well-known than our ever popular Devon Red, if you haven’t yet tried it, you really need to pick up a bottle and test it out. Devon Mist is our medium, hazy session cider. It is unfiltered for extra flavour and texture, which means it’s gently sparkling and bursting with the taste of ripe, heritage West Country cider apples. It has a beautifully rounded finish and is deliciously thirst-quenching. It’s a traditional cider, made for today.

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Myth 1: All Ciders Are Equal

Let’s start with a question one customer posted in response to that blog: “Is your cider made from concentrate like many supermarket ciders?” The quick answer is ‘certainly not’. Our cider is made from the fresh juice of British cider apples but that is not the only difference. Fantastic cider is made using three things: exceptional raw ingredients, time and experience. To make our authentic cider, we use locally harvested cider apples that are grown specifically for making cider. We press these to extract the fresh juice, which we then cold ferment using the second magic ingredient, time. Unlike mass-produced cider made from concentrated apple juice that can be fast-fermented at high temperatures and bottled within two weeks, our low impact cider takes a lot longer. We let it ferment and mature for at least six months, sometimes up to eighteen months. As cider ages, the tannins and polyphenols develop to give it magnificent layers and depth. We then activate the third ingredient, experience. Our cellar team has over 70 years of knowledge between them, which we use to ensure we make the right decisions at every stage of the process.

Myth 2: Cider is Easier to Make than Beer

It is this wealth of knowledge that is indispensable when dealing with the vagaries of cider production. The uninitiated have been known to suggest that making cider is easier than beer but, If anything, it’s harder. Unlike brewing beer, which can be a fairly rapid process involving boiling malted grains and hops, creating cider relies on painstakingly fermenting and ageing the juice of a variety of cider apples. Apple harvests vary massively year to year in terms of yield, apple size, quality and sugar content. The fermentation process is slow and unpredictable and authentic cider makers like us don’t hide behind added sugar or synthetic flavourings. Making great cider requires patience, experience and a deep understanding of apples, but we believe you can taste the craft in our cider.

Myth 3: Cider is Not as Sophisticated as Wine

In fact, it is the combination of craft and fruit that makes cider more akin to wine than beer, although it is commonly grouped in with the latter. We believe it is just as sophisticated as its grape based rival. Cider has terroir (the characteristic taste and flavour imparted to a wine or cider by the environment in which it is produced), tradition, craftsmanship and history stretching back centuries. Its incarnations are way more diverse than simply an alternative to your malty or hoppy pint. Just as you would select different types of wine for different events and food pairings, cider offers you a wide selection of styles. You might choose to raise a toast with a bubbly replacement such as Katja. You could plump for a rich oak-aged vintage cider like The General, that would challenge a red wine for space alongside your Sunday roast. You might be tempted by an Ice Cider, produced using a technique called icing that intensifies sweetness, flavour and alcohol content. This would pair perfectly with a cheese board as the cider alternative to a fortified wine. We like to think that there is a cider alternative for every occasion.

Testing out our Theories

We know that our range of authentic ciders offers a worthy challenge to any beer or wine and is deserving of the same respect but we challenge you to test out our theory. Pick a beer or wine drinking moment and try swapping your usual choice for one of our fabulous ciders. If you need some guidance have a look at our suggestions for Perfect Pairings for BBQ Season or Perfect Date Night Pairings for Cider Lovers. We think that you will be pleasantly surprised and we would love to hear if you find a new favourite pairing.

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Ancient Origins

You might think of an apple as a very British fruit but, although many varieties are grown here now, they are unlikely to be originally native to these isles. The apple’s origins predate records and are debated by archeologists, historians and anthropologists but Malus sieversii, considered to be the wild predecessor to domesticated apples, can still be found growing in modern-day Kazakhstan. It is believed that from the Tien Shan mountain range there, they were spread to Europe along the Silk Route. There is evidence that they were introduced to Italy several thousand years ago and, from there, it is likely that the Romans first introduced them to Britain, when they invaded in 55BCE. At that point in time it is probable that crab apples were the only variety growing in the UK and the locals had already used these to create something akin to cider. Indications are that when the Romans settled here they brought their horticultural and fermentation expertise, along with a variety of apples, that flourished here and paved the way for more widespread cider making.

Cider Through The Ages

It appears that there was a lull in cider production after the Romans left until a boost from the Normans, when they took over in 1066. They also loved cider, and still do, and they coined the name ‘sidre’ from the Latin word ‘sicera’, meaning intoxicating drink. They are thought to have planted orchards and introduced new varieties of apple. Cider continued to be made throughout the centuries as a low alcohol, safer alternative to drinking dirty water and competed with beer, wine and spirits in the popularity stakes. Cider was simply made by crushing apples and fermenting their juice and was particularly widespread in rural areas where land owners often part paid their staff with cider. Records suggest that every farmer that had the right environment for growing apples had his own orchard and access to a press!

The Golden Era

Cider’s greatest boost, however, is said to have happened between the 16th and 19th century. At this time, a change in climate led to lower temperatures that killed off grape vines throughout the UK. Apples were able to survive these cooler environments and continued to thrive. Meanwhile, wars in Europe appear to have stopped the influx of French and Spanish wine, sherry and brandy, knocking out these competitors and leaving cider, alongside ale, as the popular domestic drink option. John Evelyn, who presented his work ‘Pomona’ to the Royal Society, is widely credited with promoting cider as a real alternative and creating a path to a more prestigious and widespread recognition. It seems that local cider makers thrived!

Cider Business

Towards the end of the 19th century, Percy Bulmer started making cider using apples from his family’s orchard. Herbert Durham, a Cambridge graduate and friend of Percy’s brother, isolated a wild yeast to create the first pure cider yeast culture and shared this with Percy. This new yeast would ensure that fermentations were consistent and is considered by many to be the birth of commercial cider-making. Small family businesses grew into companies that produced large volumes of cider distributed across the nation and beyond, bringing the joy of cider to the masses. This is where our part of cider history starts.

Our Part of History

The oldest working Cider Works in the UK was built in 1930 on the site of an earlier cider mill that was run by the Burrows family, owners of a busy hotel and pub business. Norman and Pring, who owned pubs and two local breweries, bought the site and set up the new Creedy Valley Cider company. The Cider Works is an imposing building which looks out over the valley and stands as an emphatic reminder of the importance and status of cider to Crediton and the wider area. It’s a big steel and brick building, built on the north side of a steep hill. The vat house is cut into that hill, and so maintains a smooth cool temperature all year long, neither freezing in the winter, nor warm in the summer. It is perfect for fermentation and storage of good cider.

The Creedy Valley Cider Company

The Creedy Valley Cider Company implemented modern methods at their new Cider Works.  Small barrels, prone to leakage and infection, were replaced by impressive oak vats that were easier to clean, strongly made and far less susceptible to spoilage. Out went the small, slow, inefficient presses, which meant apples could lie around and rot before being pressed. In came huge knife mills that ate through the apples and hydraulic presses that rapidly extracted the juice. With slick rail cart systems they kept a constant throughput and harvest and pressing ran side by side, as we do today. However, in 1964 the business was bought by Whitbread who kept the pubs and sold off Creedy Valley Cider. HP Bulmer took ownership but ran down the stocks and closed the business for good in 1967.

A New Chapter

Since 2014 we have been the proud custodians of The Cider Works in Crediton. We’ve replaced dodgy roof sheets, repaired some tired flooring and modernised processes a bit, but, really, we just moved back into a place that was built to make cider. It’s tall, it’s cool and it’s full of the fruit of our valleys once again. Mechanisation has eased the process but this innovation is combined with tradition so that, at its core, our authentic cider is still made by pressing and cold fermenting locally grown apples: something that has taken place in Crediton for centuries. We love sharing the story of our historic home and all things cider-related. If you would like to hear more, book yourself onto one of our monthly tours and tastings.

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Comparing Apples with Apples

Not all apples are created equal when it comes to cider making. Fruit Expert estimates that there are around 7, 500 different apple varieties, all of which fall into one of three different apple categories: dessert, cooking and cider. Dessert apples, also known as stable or eating apples, are the ones we eat straight from the tree. They are primarily grown for their sweetness and flavour and are often characterised by their firm and crunchy texture, making them perfect for eating raw or using in desserts. Cooking apples are varieties of apples specifically grown for culinary use. They are usually tart and firm, making them ideal for baking, stewing, and sauces, but not eating. Cider apples, on the other hand, are renowned for their bitterness and dry flavour. Most of these are definitely not something you would want to take a bite out of but what makes them bad for eating is what makes them a brilliant base for fabulous cider.

Cider Apples

In 1903, the Long Ashton Research Station categorised cider apples into four main types according to their proportion of tannins and malic acid. These are the magic ingredients, along with natural sugars (which aid fermentation and offset bitterness), required to make great cider. Tannins add depth to a cider’s flavour and improve mouthfeel. Acidity adds freshness and balance. The four recognised cider apple categories are bittersweet (low in acid, high in tannins) bittersharp (high in tannins and acid), sharp (low in tannins, high in acid), and sweet (low in tannins and acid). Bittersharps have all the qualities required for single varietal ciders but many ciders are made from a blend of juice from a variety of cider apples, sometimes from different categories, to ensure a finished cider with a rounded flavour and the best and most consistent quality.

Dessert and Cooking Apples

Dessert apples, like Royal Gala and Braeburn, tend to be ‘sweet’ apples that are low in tannin and malic acid. This makes them delicious for eating but if you try to make a cider from them the result is flat and one-dimensional. Cooking apples, such as Bramleys, tend to be ‘sharp’ apples. They have more acid than dessert apples but still lack the tannins required to make great cider. But, whilst cider apples are the essential ingredient, other apples can be used within a carefully selected combination to create award-winning cider. It is part of a cider maker’s skill to get the right mix of apple types to produce a highly palatable drink.

It’s All in the Mix

Take our best-selling Devon Red. It champions three key apples. Dabinett is a ‘bittersweet’ cider apple that brings desirably high levels of tannin and astringency. Farmers Glory is a ‘sharp’ that adds bite. These are complemented by the addition of Sweet Alford which brings layers and depth, along with a honey note on the finish. The carefully blended mix results in an easy drinking cider with broad appeal. Compare this to The General, our traditional tannic cider which is the culmination of three different ‘bittersweet’ cider apples: Yarlington Mill, Tremlett’s Bitter and Dabinett. The juice is then aged in a 120 year old oak vat leaving a cider with fantastic depth of flavour with complex notes that most wines would fail to achieve. The General has won a host of international awards, because of the process and because of the apples. If you change either, you don’t get the result.

The Apples Decide the Blend

We know that outstanding ciders like ours can only be achieved by allowing the apples to be the stars of the show. Of course alongside ciders that we choose to hero individual apples – the proudest we feel is to nurture the orchard blends as grafted and planted by the generations of farmer cider makers before us. In our orchards we have hundreds of different varieties, all adding their voice to the joyful chorus that is true raw, whole juice West Country cider. As our work on DNA profiling enters it’s fifth year, we hope to be able to announce newly rediscovered apples, and learn about their own unique contributions to our craft.

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Origins

Back in 1986, one restaurant opening in Rome sparked a widespread national protest. Close to the Spanish Steps, in the heart of the historic capital of a food-loving nation, McDonalds opened its doors. Whilst some embraced this modern American lifestyle choice, Carlo Petrini was one of many who was horrified by the potential impact on the future of Italian cuisine. As the 9007th McDonalds wooed the younger generations, Carlo feared the death knell of home-grown, home-cooked, sustainable, sociable meals. In response to this fast food explosion, he established the Slow Food Movement.

Philosophy and Principles

Over the last forty years, the organisation has grown from humble beginnings to become a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world. Their philosophy links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. They believe in good, clean and fair food for all. They champion sustainably grown, local, seasonal produce that is used to create high quality, delicious and nutritious food and drink for consumers and provides a fair wage to producers. They offer a broad range of support and education and run programmes, such as the Ark of Taste, that aim to preserve biodiversity through protecting heritage breeds and heirloom crops.

How We Align

When we were introduced to the Slow Food Movement, we instantly knew that we were on the same page. In a world of ultra processed food, short cuts and short termism, the future for our kids can sometimes look a little bleak. But we are very lucky in our corner of the country. We can stand with our local farmers in their beautiful, ancient orchards, breath in the fresh air, marvel at the bees buzzing around us and wash it all down with a bottle of authentically made cider. We know that we need to preserve this for future generations and that’s why we are members of the Slow Food Movement. We are committed to supporting our local farmers to sustainably grow apples to create fabulous cider, produced using traditional methods and no added nasties. We are also committed to keeping the Westcountry cider heritage and traditions alive. We’d summarise our commitment as sustainability, community and taste.

Sustainability

Our approach to cider is naturally sustainable. It is made from real cider apples that grow on trees in orchards where the deep roots, the trunks and branches all lock in carbon, as do the leaves and unharvested fruit. We don’t disturb the soil in these orchards and allow apples and leaves to add organic matter to the ground to continuously improve it. Our orchards support biodiversity by acting as homes and larders for a huge range of creatures. During blossom time, a 20 acre orchard serves up 900kg of nectar and 3.5 tons of pollen and the apples, both on the tree and later on the ground, all provide a hugely welcome larder for insects, birds, bats, hedgehogs, mice, voles, owls, foxes, badgers and more. We are also working with Bristol University to identify and preserve ancient apple varieties for the future.

Community

We are honoured to be part of a buoyant community of artisan producers in the South West and beyond. We work closely with our farmers and we support fledgling cidermakers through our Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards. We know that we are not in this alone! We also take seriously our responsibility to preserve time-honoured festivities that are part of our cider making heritage, particularly in our home town of Crediton. We think it is incredibly important to continue traditions such as wassailing and Franklin’s Night because they bring the community together and they remind us all of the fragility of the natural world and our reliance on it for our food and drink. We also love any excuse to get the locals together for a cider-based celebration and throw open our doors for pizza and cider every Friday and Saturday night.

Taste

At the end of the day none of this would be possible if we didn’t produce great tasting cider. We use 100% fresh-pressed, not from concentrate, West Country cider apples. Unlike mass-produced ‘cider’ made from concentrated apple juice that can be fast-fermented at high temperatures and bottled within two weeks, our low impact cider takes a lot longer. Our fresh juice cold ferments and then matures for at least six months, sometimes up to 18 months. As cider ages, the tannins and polyphenols develop to give it magnificent layers and depth. For us, it is not about turning things around quickly, it is about making the very best cider we can.

Slow Food & Drink

In a world of very fast food, we challenge you to find time to seek out some slow food and drink options. Think local, seasonal and ethical produce that connects palate, planet and community. Enjoying great tasting food and drink in the knowledge that you are supporting the environment, producers and the future of great British food will just make every mouthful even more delicious.

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Dry January

Back in 2013, when Dry January was launched in the UK, it was a chance to reset after the excesses of the Christmas period. It is estimated that a couple of thousand people got on board with the idea that year, but many looked on in bemusement. Those that did go alcohol-free for a month would have had fairly slim pickings when it came to alternative drinks, making the whole experience a considerable challenge for many taking part.

The Rise of No & Low

Fast forward to 2026 and it’s no longer Dry January but Dry Everyday, Dry Quite A Lot or Dry More Often Than Not, for a growing section of the British population. What we are experiencing is a generational lifestyle shift. More and more people want to enjoy the buzz of a night out without necessarily drinking alcohol. The great news for anyone looking to moderate their alcohol consumption is that, unlike in the early days, there is a wealth of fantastic no and low alcohol products to choose from. Producers, like us, have responded to this growing demand and created a range of premium quality, alcohol-free alternatives that allow consumers to readily make this positive choice without the need to compromise on taste and experience

Red Zero

Our Red Zero is a fantastic example of what is on offer. We had been keen to create an alcohol-free cider for some time, but we knew it had to stand up to our existing ciders. We didn’t want to put an apple juice in disguise on the shelf. We wanted to offer the same great taste, complexities, tannins and mouthfeel as our full-strength ciders, simply without the alcohol. To achieve that, we use a process called reverse osmosis to gently filter out the alcohol while preserving the authentic, fully fermented flavour. The result is Red Zero, a cider crafted with the same care and quality as the rest of our range, offering drinkers a satisfying, premium cider experience without the alcohol. It is versatile with a complex flavour profile that makes it the perfect base for alcohol-free cocktails that will liven up any Dry January. Here are a few of our favourites.

Cider Spritz

This simple mocktail uses just four ingredients. Combine 120mls of  Red Zero with 30mls of (preferably freshly squeezed) lemon juice and 15mls of cinnamon syrup (if you can’t find it in the shops you can make your own or substitute with a pinch of ground cinnamon). Pour into a spritz glass and top up with 60-90mls of non-alcoholic sparkling wine or, for more of a zing, ginger beer. Stir gently to combine and finish off with a garnish of apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Cider Punch Mocktail

For parties, you can easily swap ingredients to make a batch of alcoholic cider punch and one of cider punch mocktail. In a large jug, combine a litre of Red Zero, 250ml of orange juice, 60ml of maple syrup, 2 sliced apples, 100g of cranberries, the seeds of a pomegranate, 1tsp ground cinnamon,1tsp ground nutmeg, 0.5tsp ground ginger and 0.5tsp ground allspice. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Add crushed ice to a glass and fill three quarters with the punch and top up with ginger beer. Make sure you include a good share of the sliced apples, cranberries and pomegranate seeds to garnish.

Non-Alcoholic Mulled Cider

A lovely warming drink with fabulous aromas, this non-alcoholic mulled cider is a sure fire winner in the colder months. In a large pan, combine a litre of Red Zero, a cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, a clove-studded apple, and half an orange sliced. Bring the mixture to a simmer (never boil) over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low for 20 minutes, allowing the spices to infuse. Serve warm and, for that finishing touch, garnish with apple slices.

Time to Experiment

Many find it hard to tell that our Red Zero is non-alcoholic. It holds its own against its alcoholic peers so it is more than capable of replacing them in any cider-based cocktails. Choose your favourite cider cocktail and give it a mocktail makeover this Dry January! To add to the party feel, employ garnishes that elevate the look and aroma, use ice creatively from fruit-filled cubes to crushed ice and serve it all in a carefully chosen glass that will showcase your creation. Let us know if you come up with a showstopper!

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Less than twelve months after launching our first non-alcoholic cider, Red Zero, was named Best Non-Alcoholic Cider at the World Cider Awards. This huge accolade added to the burgeoning trophy cabinet that includes gold awards from Taste of the West and The Farm Shop and Deli Awards and Best New Drink Award from Food Drink Devon.

We took our time creating Red Zero because we like to do things properly at Sandford Orchards. It was not the first non-alcoholic cider to market but we like to think that it is one of the best and it seems that the experts agree. Winning these awards recognises all the hard work and effort we put into making Red Zero and puts it firmly on the global cider map as the best in the world and the perfect pint to celebrate Dry January!

Harvest Celebrations

This autumn we celebrated a record-breaking harvest. The biggest we have ever witnessed! Our expanded team worked tirelessly throughout October and November. We pressed apples 6 days a week from 5am until 9pm to keep on top of apple deliveries and invested in eight new tanks to increase our capacity by 400,000 litres. The result of our labours is some exceptional quality juice with fantastic depth of flavour. We are currently fermenting more juice than ever before and we are very excited about the cider prospects for 2026!

Mulled Red Zero Cider

As the temperature drops and the festive season starts, mulled cider is the perfect antidote to the cold. The warming aromas are incredibly tempting and our Red Zero mulled cider recipe means that everyone can enjoy a glass or two. You will need 1.5 litres of Red Zero, 2 cinnamon sticks, the zest of an orange, a clove studded apple, 1 Tbsp of Allspice,  2 star anise, 75g of brown sugar and 400ml of apple juice. Simply place all the ingredients in a large pan and heat gently (never heat past the serving temperature) for just 30 minutes, so you don’t lose its fruity flavour and zip. Serve with an orange or apple slice garnish and a sprinkling of cinnamon on the rim of the glass.

The Wassail

January can be a dark and dreary time with Christmas behind us and spring still a long way off but, at Sandford Orchards, we always have the wassail to look forward to. It is the perfect excuse for some fresh air, cider and socialising! Typically held on or around the Twelfth Night (5th or 6th January) or Old Twelfth Night (“Old Twelvey”, 17 January), the evening involves toasting the health of the apple trees and frightening away evil spirits that might harm them. Wassailing is a great opportunity to get the community together and help them to appreciate our fabulous orchards. Kids can run wild in the dark whilst the adults enjoy a mulled cider. It’s one of the highlights of our calendar and we wholeheartedly encourage you to join a wassail in your area this January.

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Award Wins

It has been another fantastic year for awards with our new non-alcoholic cider, Red Zero, leading the way. Less than twelve months after we launched it, it was named Best Non-Alcoholic Cider at the World Cider Awards, adding to gold awards from Taste of the West and The Farm Shop and Deli Awards and Best New Drink Award from Food Drink Devon. We took our time creating Red Zero because we like to do things properly at Sandford Orchards. It was not the first non-alcoholic cider to market but we like to think that it is one of the best and it seems that the experts agree. Winning these awards recognises all the hard work and effort we put into making Red Zero and puts it firmly on the global cider map as the best in the world!

Perfect Pears

It is always exciting to launch new products and this year we had three! Our 2024 Vintage Perry was a lovely surprise addition to the range. Barny planted a small perry orchard on a friend’s farm 15 years ago and completely forgot about it. Then last autumn we harvested our first substantial crop and created a delicate floral perry that is crisp, fragrant and fresh with ripe pear, citrus acidity and a subtle tropical nose. It is a lovely alternative to a glass of wine and pairs perfectly with roasted chicken, creamy pasta or grilled fish.

Collaboration Ciders

Our first collaboration cider of the year was created with Somerset’s Ganley & Naish as part of their prize for winning the Breakthrough Cider Makers Awards 2023. The new limited edition High Tides Cider was crafted from a blend of wild-fermented early bittersweets and Browns apples and married the signature characteristics of Ganley & Naish and Sandford Orchards to create a beautifully balanced cider.

The second collaboration of the year was with Ben Collins, formerly known as The Stig. Using a centuries-old, single screw, Devon straw press, Ben and Barny hand-pressed apples from an ancient orchard at Prowse Farm. The result of their labours is Sandford Orchards X Ben’s Cider 2024 Vintage Straw Pressed Fine Cider,  a spectacular cider with a burgundy hue and notes of grapefruit and melon running through a classic Devonian bittersweet farmhouse blend. If you haven’t already tried one of these new ciders, you might want to add them to your Christmas list!

New Listings

We love to share the joy of our fabulous cider with as many people as possible and putting it on the shelves of supermarkets and high street stores helps us to reach those people not lucky enough to have had the pleasure of our wares yet. This year we have celebrated some major milestones in that direction. Firstly, Red Zero appeared in Morrisons, then John Lewis started stocking our gift packs and now Tesco is putting Devon Red in its stores across the South West, making it even easier to get your hands on our award winning cider.

Sandford Orchards Everywhere

It is probably no coincidence that these new listings have arisen in a year when we have been featured widely across TV, radio, papers, magazines, billboards and buses. Our Right Cider Life multimedia campaign raised our profile with outdoor, digital and in store activity across the country. Meanwhile, our ciders were featured on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh and in The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sun, Olive Magazine and Woman & Home, to name a few. Plus Barny was interviewed by BBC News, Radio 4, The Times and more.

Bumper Harvest

The other big highlight of the year has been a record-breaking harvest. The biggest we have ever witnessed. A mild spring, and the sunniest summer for some time, left our trees groaning under the weight of fruit, around a third more than last year. The apples ripened ahead of schedule, due to the lovely sunny weather, and were already beginning to drop in late August. To cope with the extra fruit, we invested in eight new tanks to increase our capacity by 400,000 litres and we pressed apples 6 days a week from 5am until 9pm to keep on top of apple deliveries!

Looking Forward to 2026

The bumper crop this year comes with the challenge of having a lot more cider to sell next year but we are definitely glass half full (of cider) type of people and the way we see it, a lot more cider means a lot more people discovering our fabulous apple nectar (and our supermarket listings have made them easier to access too). Plus we’ve had an abundance of rare apple breeds in 2025 so we’ll be able to do some really interesting small batch blends and single variety ciders over the coming months. All of this means that 2026 promises to be a very exciting year on the cider front! Watch this space!!

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Autumn is harvest season for us, our favourite and busiest time at the cider works, and this year we are anticipating the biggest crop we have ever experienced. A mild spring and the sunniest summer for some time has left our trees groaning under the weight of fruit and we are expecting it to be around a third bigger than last year, probably around 4000 tonnes! The extra hours of sunshine have boosted sugar levels too, which means this could also be the sweetest harvest on record for us.

This year we are anticipating so many apples that we have had to invest in eight new tanks, giving us 400,000 litres more capacity! We will be pressing at least 70 different varieties and, amongst them, there are going to be a lot more of the rare apples that we have been identifying in our DNA mapping project. We are hoping to create some really interesting small batch blends with these so there should be some pretty special varieties to enjoy next summer.

Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels

If you are looking for something very different to do this Bonfire Night, come along and be part of a true Devon spectacle at the extraordinary Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary on 5th November. Ottery is the only place in the country where locals run through the streets carrying full sized blazing tar barrels on their shoulders. It is a hugely popular event with people travelling from miles around and there is a real fun, carnival atmosphere throughout the night, with food stalls and bars dotted around the town and our cider available from bars around the village.

New 12 Ciders of Christmas

Building on the success of our Cider Advent Calendar, this year we have decided to offer something a little bit different. Counting down to the big day with our new 12 Ciders of Christmas Advent Calendar is the perfect way to get into the festive spirit. Behind each of the 12 doors you will discover a different Sandford Orchards’ cider, plus there is a bonus branded pint glass and some other surprise gifts. Whether it’s a treat for yourself or the perfect gift for the cider lover in your life, this hamper is guaranteed to spread some Christmas cheer. It is available to pre-order now for delivery in November.

Figgy Pudding Ice Cider Returns

Back by popular demand, we have just relaunched our Limited Edition Figgy Pudding Ice Cider (ABV 15%). For those who missed it last time, it is an indulgent oak aged ice cider steeped in dried fruit. The rich apple is wrapped in layers of Christmas aromatics including clementine, cloves, allspice and star anise. Each mouthful releases notes of caramel, mince pies and the glorious decadence of the festive season. A fabulous British alternative to port or sherry, it is the perfect festive tipple and is also available in a gift box, complete with two brandy style serving glasses.

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Crazy and dangerous are two words you might use to describe the Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary. We’re more inclined to say ‘unique’ and ‘historic’ and here’s why we love this great tradition and why we will once again be supporting this fantastic Devon event.

Centuries of History

It is not entirely clear how the custom of carrying blazing barrels of tar through the streets of Ottery St Mary began but it has evolved over the centuries to become a one of a kind spectacle. Visit Devon suggests it started as a celebration of the defeat of the gunpowder plot of 1605. Others think its roots lie in a practice of fumigating cottages or perhaps it was first used as a warning of the approach of the Spanish Armada. The only thing that can be agreed upon is that it has developed over the years to become an unparalleled extravaganza. Whilst many West Country villages have a history of winter torchlight processions and quite a few have incorporated burning barrels which are rolled in the streets, Ottery is the only place in the country where locals run through the streets carrying full sized blazing tar barrels on their shoulders.

What Happens on the Night

Tar Barrels usually takes place on 5th November and it really is a sight to behold. In the run up to the night, barrels are soaked in tar and the first one is lit at 7pm. Around a dozen are ignited throughout the evening culminating in the largest barrel at midnight in the town square. They are carried by locals, whose only protection is several layers of thick clothing and gloves. There are also smaller barrels, carried earlier in the evening, by local children. The flaming barrels are paraded throughout the town with the onlookers in hot pursuit, moving between pubs and sites of old pubs. They are occasionally topped up with more tar and are borne on the “Ottregians” shoulders through the crowd until they eventually disintegrate.

Feel the Heat of History

Visitors can get very close to the action, feeling the heat of the flames and occasionally being sprinkled with ash. It is a hugely popular event with people travelling from miles around and there is a real fun, carnival atmosphere throughout the night, with food stalls and bars dotted around the town. The roads are closed from about 4pm and there is very limited parking so it is wise to plan ahead and get there early.  It can get very crowded, but it is a thrill to be part of the hustle and bustle and there are lots of experienced stewards to help keep everyone safe.

Why We Love It

We think it is a magic piece of Devon Folklore that we hope will continue for many centuries to come. It is so important for communities to celebrate together, particularly in the dark winter months, and keeping traditions like this alive helps to unite local people and engender pride in their village. The Tar Barrels night is of real cultural importance to Ottery and a testament to the county’s rich heritage. With people visiting from across the globe, it puts a small Devon town on the world map and we are keen to keep it that way. Every year we like to get involved and this time, as well as our cider being available from bars around the village, we’re also sponsoring a barrel.

Be Part of the Crowd

So if you are looking for something very different to do this Bonfire Night, come along and be part of a true Devon spectacle at the extraordinary Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary. It is not for the fainthearted but we guarantee an unforgettable experience that every bold Devonian should witness at least once in their life. For full details and to help you plan your night, head to their website.

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Autumnal Expectations

Harvest season usually starts in early October and will run right through until the end of November, although this year started a little earlier.  All our apples come from orchards within a 30 mile radius of the cider works but apple variety (we pick over 70 different types) and orchard location mean that some of our apples are ready to harvest before others. As harvest time approaches we make regular checks on each orchard to identify the optimum moment to bring in each bountiful crop. Our regular inspections throughout the summer have already indicated that this year is set to be an epic harvest!

A Bumper Crop

If you have any fruit trees in your own garden you have probably experienced the same success this year too. A mild spring and the sunniest summer for some time has left our trees groaning under the weight of fruit, and we’re looking forward to a harvest around a third bigger than last year. In fact, it looks set to be the biggest harvest we have known at the cider works.  The extra hours of sunshine should have boosted sugar levels too, which means this could also be the sweetest harvest on record for us. The very un-British weather has also meant that the apples are ripening early and were already beginning to drop in late August, so it’s all happening a lot earlier than normal.

Harvest Hands

We don’t pick cider apples from the trees, we wait until the fruit has fallen onto the ground. This is an indication that the tree has given the apple as many nutrients and as much flavour as it possibly can. Only then is it ready for harvesting. Some of this, particularly in our ancient orchards, is done by hand, some is more mechanised, but all of it takes a heroic team effort that brings the local community together. Our staff are joined by a band of temporary harvest hands who work shifts from sunrise to sunset, six days a week, to help us get all the apples into the mill and pressed whilst they are at their very best.

From Orchard to Tank

During harvest, we take delivery of around three thousand tonnes of apples, this year it could be more like four thousand tonnes! We float them from huge bays on the forecourt into the cider works along a waterway created using the rainwater run off from the roof. Then the apples are  sorted by hand from the twigs and leaves, crushed and then pressed into apple juice, ready to be fermented and matured in our huge vats. This year we are anticipating so many apples that we have had to invest in eight new tanks, giving us 400,000 litres more capacity! It’s going to be a very busy harvest this year but it is always very satisfying to see the year’s crop start its journey to becoming fabulous cider.

Apple Day

Right in the midst of harvest is the annually celebrated Apple Day, on 21st October. It was launched in 1990 as a celebration of the diversity of heritage fruit varieties available and the ones we are in danger of losing. It also aims to raise awareness of food heritage and to help us better understand where our fruit comes from. It’s something we wholeheartedly support and it’s the perfect excuse to visit an orchard, harvest and press some apples or rustle up an apple-based recipe. We are usually at our busiest on 21st October but we always take time to enjoy a glass of cider in celebration.

Pressing Business

In fact, with community orchards springing up across the country and a renewed interest in countryside traditions and connecting with nature, apple celebrations are popping up throughout the autumn. Occombe Farm, near Paignton, is celebrating its apple harvest on 27th and 28th September and Ben’s Farm Shop, Staverton, is holding a community apple pressing day on the same weekend. We will also be, once again, inviting the community to bring their apples to Darts Farm, Topsham to be pressed.

Harvest Reflections

Then, when all the apples are safely gathered in, pressed and fermenting into fabulous cider, we can sit back and celebrate a successful harvest with a cider or two! That is when we will start to consider how this year’s harvest will affect next year’s ciders. We will be pressing at least 70 different varieties and, amongst them, there are going to be a lot more of the rare apples that we have been identifying in our DNA mapping project. We are hoping to create some really interesting small batch blends with these so there should be some pretty special varieties to enjoy next summer. Watch this space!

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Is Cider Always Sweet?

Sadly, many people’s first, and often last, experience of cider is a can or two of a cheap, mass produced drink. These drinks may be hardly acquainted with apples and are often packed full of additives that create a sickly sweet beverage. They don’t bear much resemblance to a lovingly created cider that has been crafted from the juice of fermented cider apples. An authentic cider can range from dry to sweet, depending on the apple varieties used and fermentation techniques. Just like wine, different ciders will appeal to different people at different times. We provide a scale for all our ciders which highlights where they sit on the spectrum. Unsurprisingly, Devon Dry features on the dry end and on the sweeter end you’ll find our fruit ciders like Cherry. Devon Red sits slap bang in the middle, which is probably why it is our most popular cider.

Is Cider Just “Apple Beer”?

Another common misconception is that cider is simply beer made with apples but it is actually much more comparable to wine. Unlike brewing beer, which can be a fairly rapid process involving boiling malted grains and hops, creating cider relies on painstakingly fermenting and ageing the juice of a variety of cider apples. Just as fermenting particular grapes in a particular ways produces a range of wines for all tastes and occasions, the same can be achieved with cider. Methods used include second fermentations, vat-ageing and icing. These provide you with a huge choice of ciders including bubbly alternatives like Katja, oak-aged vintage ciders like The General and fortified wine challengers like Ice Cider, the perfect cheese board companion. Thus you can enjoy a flight of ciders to accompany a meal, just like you would select particular wines to pair with contrasting courses.

Is Cider Just for the Summer?

If you asked us what we would like to drink on a hot day, we would, of course, tell you that you can not beat a cold refreshing pint of cider and it is true to say that the British population tends to agree. Our sales peak in the summer months as our fabulous cider features at barbecues and al fresco gatherings across the country but, like us, the cider converts know that there’s a cider for every season. Even if you don’t fancy a cold pint, you can enjoy a rich vintage cider such as Sandford Reserve which will warm you with its intricate flavours of peach, oak and sherry wine. If you are really feeling the winter chill then try a mulled cider recipe, infused with warming spices like cinnamon and cloves. It’s also the perfect drink for bonfire night parties and festive gatherings.

Is Non-Alcoholic Cider Just Apple Juice?

Recently our non-alcoholic cider, Red Zero, appeared on TV with Alan Titchmarsh and Ben Fogle. Ben questioned the whole idea of non-alcoholic cider. “Isn’t that just apple juice?”, he said. Gasps of horror echoed around the cider works at that point but drinks expert, Tom Surgey, went on to explain the pains we go to to make Red Zero and when the guests got to taste it they really could not believe that it wasn’t alcoholic cider. They knew that it definitely wasn’t ‘just apple juice’ and that is because we spent years of trial and error before settling on the most expensive but most authentic way to create fantastic non-alcoholic cider. We start by fermenting cider apple juice to produce delicious cider and then we remove the alcohol using reverse osmosis, so you get all the flavour and none of the hangover.

Hopefully, we’ve cleared up a few cider misapprehensions but if you have any other myths that you would like to debunk please let us know. In the meantime, if we have inspired you to try something new, visit our online shop and treat yourself to a selection of fabulous authentic cider.

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You may have already seen our bestselling and much loved Devon Red featured on buses and billboards this summer as we have recently launched our outdoor campaign to encourage consumers to ‘Choose The Right Cider Life’. Alongside the adverts we are running a competition that features on packs and POS, giving people the opportunity to win over 50 prizes including a fabulous bundle of goodies from RED Equipment, Kamado Joe, Nomad and, of course, lots of Devon Red. The message is all about making positive choices. It’s about getting out there and enjoying the good things in life, such as soaking up the great outdoors, maybe a walk on the beach or sharing a great tasting cider with friends in the sunshine. Make sure you enjoy a Devon Red or two and enter the competition.

Winners of BCMA

We are delighted to announce that Rull Orchard has won our 2025 Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards with their Autumn Unwrapped Perry (5.5% ABV). Rull Orchard, which just happens to be based in Devon, beat off stiff competition from across the country to win. Silvers were awarded to Canterbury Cider for its Celebration Cider (ABV 6%) and to Tippetts Cider for its Crow Cider (ABV 4.8%). We launched the Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards at the end of 2019 with the aim of recognising and celebrating excellent quality whole juice ciders from around the UK and to support the future of British cider. We would like to thank Gabe Cook, Tom Oliver and Mary Topp for judging and Vigo, Murphy & Son, The Bag In Box Shop, The Stable, The London Cider House and Darts Farm for their support and prize donations. To celebrate the awards, we have created a fantastic Breakthrough Cider Maker Taster Case containing all the winning ciders which is available from our shop and online.

Sidmouth Folk Festival

This summer we will, once again, be the official cider of The Sidmouth Folk Festival. It’s a partnership that we’ve enjoyed for many years and an event that we feel really passionate about. Cider and folk music both have deep roots in rural Devon and shared values of craftsmanship, community and heritage so they make the perfect match. We are really proud to be part of this event and strongly encourage you to head to the festival which runs from 1st to 8th August. It is a vibrant celebration of folk music, dance and culture that transforms the seaside town with eclectic performances which are best enjoyed with a pint of cold authentic cider in hand.

Perfect Weather for Cider

We hate to tempt fate but summer so far has been perfect for cider drinking and making! When the sun comes out it sells our cider for us, so we have been very busy keeping our customers supplied with plenty of stock. Meanwhile, in our orchards, our apples are loving all these extra hours of sunshine as they grow and develop. The perfect spring weather set us up with an abundance of blossom which has translated into an abundance of apples now maturing on our trees. Fingers crossed, we look set for a bumper harvest in the autumn to keep us busy creating the next batch of cider.

Straw Pressed Vintage Cider

Introducing a new fine cider that we’ve made in collaboration with Ben Collins, formerly known as The Stig from Top Gear. Although he’s still busy behind the wheel, he’s also bought a farm, planted an orchard and made a cider with us. Pressed through hand-turned wheat reed and barley straw on a traditional oak and iron press, every drop is a testament to time and toil. This limited edition fine cider boasts a delicate burgundy hue, with vibrant notes of grapefruit and melon threading through a classic bittersweet Devonian cider.

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Devon’s Deep-Rooted Cider Culture

The further you go West, the sooner you realise that cider is not just a drink, it is a part of life for many people. There was a time when every farm and every village had an orchard and many workers were paid in cider. The farming and cider making calendar featured a host of events that took place in and around our historic orchards. These have shaped the social and cultural landscape of the West Country for centuries. Devon’s rich soil and rolling hills have always been central to this and they continue to nurture the county’s famous apple orchards. Our home in Devon, in the UK’s oldest working cider mill, is steeped in history and we take our custodianship of local traditions very seriously. Folk songs, storytelling and seasonal festivals are interwoven with the process of producing cider and we are keen to keep these alive.

The Soundtrack of the Countryside

Folk music has long been the soundtrack to rural Devon, with its melodies being shaped by the land from which it came and the stories of the generations that lived there. It is a genre of music that belongs to these small communities and is passed hand to hand like a pint of cider. Devon has an outstanding reputation for folk music, with artists like Jim Causley, a native of Whimple, who weaves the region’s folklore, unique dialects and natural beauty into his melodies. Similarly, Devon’s own Show of Hands, frequent performers at Sidmouth, have cultivated a sound deeply respectful of the land and its people. At Sandford Orchards, we champion the spirit of this great county and folk music, just like cider making, unites people, shares their narratives, and grounds us in the landscape around us.

The Sidmouth Folk Festival

The Sidmouth Folk Festival is the ideal opportunity to experience first hand this fantastic marriage of Devon’s finest. Held every August since 1955, it brings together people from all different walks of life to the scenic seaside town of Sidmouth. The whole town comes alive, with the streets and pubs reverberating with the sound of music, laughter, and the stomp of dancing feet. The air buzzes with energy from morning to night. Concerts take place in beautiful venues like The Ham and Bulverton, but the real joy of Sidmouth is how easy it is to stumble into something unexpected, from a Morris dance in the Market Square, to a storytelling circle in the gardens, or a group of strangers belting out harmonies in a pub over a round of drinks.

You’ll find workshops on everything from folk singing to clog dancing, family events, food stalls and local crafts. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Devon celebration without great cider. We’re proud to be the official cider of the festival, pouring at bars throughout the week you can find us everywhere from the Blackmore to the late-night revelry at the Bulverton. Whether you’re settling in to watch a concert or just catching your breath between workshops, there’s nothing quite like a cold pint of local cider in your hand.

A Toast to Tradition

Cider and folk music come from the same world, one where craft matters, community means something, and the little moments are the ones worth remembering. They are both lovingly crafted and made to be shared. When we show up at Sidmouth Folk Festival, it’s not just to pour drinks, it’s to celebrate something we feel a part of. A way of life that’s all about bringing people together, telling stories, and enjoying the best of what this county has to offer. So if you’ve never been to Sidmouth, maybe this is the year. It is running from 1st-8th August so get your tickets, pack your dancing shoes and experience it for yourself. Or, if you’re closer to Crediton, swing by one of our live music nights. We often have folk bands playing, and the cider’s always cold.

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Deep Roots in Devon

Ben spent many of his formative years in Devon, some of it living on a farm. Since then he has served in the British Army, became a Le Mans Series Champion racing driver, a stunt driver in a number of Hollywood films, including four James Bond movies and, most famously, he was The Stig on Top Gear for eight years. He still lives life in the fast lane on YouTube but, alongside that, he recently bought a farm in North Devon, to satisfy a hankering he has had for some time. He loved the outdoor element of farming as a kid but he was never very keen on livestock, being terrified of ducks, so his plan was to create an orchard and make his own cider.

Cider Maker in Training

Ben has been a friend of Sandford Orchards for a while and we jumped at the chance to share our cider making knowledge with him. Using the information that we have gathered as part of our apple tree DNA project, Barny helped Ben plan and plant an orchard of rare breed apple trees last year. They won’t be ready for harvesting for at least five years but Ben couldn’t wait for his first apples to fall. He wanted to get hands on with the cider making process long before then, so he joined us last harvest to create a very special collaboration cider. The full story will be told on Ben’s farming YouTube channel: @BenCollinsFarm

Pressing Business

Using apples from an orchard at Prowse Farm, we set about crafting an exclusive libation. Our friends there, The Stoyle family, are descendants from a long line of cider makers and apple growers. Their orchard is a unique collection of cider varieties, including many forgotten apples. This is the sort of orchard that we are hoping to recreate on Ben’s farm so these were the ideal ingredients for our first foray together. In keeping with the historic orchards, we pressed the apples by hand in a centuries old cider barn using an ancient, single screw, Devon straw press made from oak and iron that has stood the test of time.

Devon History in a Bottle

The result of our labours is a spectacular cider with a burgundy hue and notes of grapefruit and melon running through a classic Devonian bittersweet farmhouse blend. It is a fine cider with truly extraordinary lineage, born in the nineteenth century. Slowly fermented and naturally bright, there may be a little yeast sediment in the bottle but that is to be enjoyed. When you taste this cider you will be drinking in the flavours of a time when William Pitt was still Prime Minister!

Ben’s Cider

Ben was the first person to taste the finished article and he told us: “Traditional English cider making is a rare process that touches your soul through every sense. Barny shares my passion for doing things “right” and I’m delighted to be working with one of the best cider makers in the country. We are both looking forward to slaking the thirsty with our first batch of this straw-pressed special.”

Ben’s Cider (ABV 6.8%) 2024 Vintage Straw Pressed Fine Cider will be available in 30 litre kegs and 750ml bottles. It will be launched at Bristol Cider Week, so, if you are there, come and meet Ben and try this fantastic new drink. If you can’t be there, head to our online shop to snap up your own bottle of this limited edition cider.

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Pork Pairing

Be it sausages, chops or pulled pork, Devon Mist is our recommendation for the best pork pairing. Devon Mist is our medium, hazy session cider, unfiltered for extra flavour and texture. Made from Yarlington Mill, Tremlett’s Bitter and Woodbine apples, it’s gently sparkling and has a fruitfulness and an apple-body that is balanced with the perfect acidity to go head-to-head with the richness and fattiness of the meat. It is a lighter cider which complements rather than competes with the pork flavours. Devon Mist won Gold at this year’s Taste of the West Awards and is a traditional cider perfect for today. As well as bottles, it is available in cans and bags in boxes, making it ideal for outdoor gatherings of all sizes.

Beef it Up

If it’s homemade beef burgers or hearty steaks on the menu, then we suggest a fuller cider such as The General, which enhances meaty barbequed flavours with its Seville orange, plum and baked apple notes. It is a very special cider pressed from Yarlington Mill, Tremlett’s Bitter and Dabinett apples and then aged in our huge oak vat to create a big, bold and super rich cider with a long, warming finish. At 8.4% ABV it’s a little more than half the strength of wine, but a lot more than your average pint, so get the bbqing done before you settle in to enjoy a few bottles of this award-winning (officially the best cider in the world) libation.

Something Fishy

You are never far from the coast here in Devon and seafood is one of the stars of our incredible local bounty. You might be surprised to know that shellfish, like prawns and lobster, taste delicious when grilled on the barbie. When it comes to a seafood cider pairing, we would recommend our drier ciders, like Devon Dry. A glass of Devon Dry offers you lean, crisp, mouthwatering refreshment, created from naturally fermented Brown’s, Fiona and Michelin apples and aged to perfection. It will enhance rather than overpower the delicate seafood flavours.

Seeing Red

Of course, if you are looking for an all-rounder then you can’t beat Devon Red as an all-day, all-food accompaniment. It is refreshing, balanced and packed with whole-juice flavour and a welcome hint of sweetness. It’s a real apple cider, for everyone and, if you are hosting a large gathering, you will definitely have Devon Red fans in the pack. A Devon Red Mini Keg will allow them to keep their glasses topped up in style but there’s also the choice of bottles, cans and bag in boxes, to suit your needs.

One for the Road

For those who want all the exceptional flavour of our award-winning Devon Red but without the alcohol, our new Red Zero means that even the drivers can enjoy all-day drinking at your BBQ. Red Zero has been a huge hit since we launched it last year with rave reviews from customers (5 stars across the board) and in the press (The Guardian named it Best Non Alcoholic Cider) and on TV (Alan Titchmarsh loved it). Stock up on some and marvel at how many of your guests can’t believe it’s not alcoholic!

Recipe Inspiration

Don’t forget, cider is also a great ingredient for BBQ recipes, rubs and sauces and we have a couple of suggestions for that too. Try our BBQ Pulled Pork Belly or our Creamy Mussels with Devon Red Cider. Whether you are washing your food down with a cold glass of our fabulous cider or adding it to a delicious dish, we have plenty to choose from. Just take a look at our online shop for more inspiration. The most important thing is to make sure that you don’t run out.

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The Forgotten English Champagne

Spring is all about new beginnings so it is incredibly timely that we have just unveiled our newest addition to the Sandford Orchards range, a Limited Edition Perry. It has been a revelation for us and our customers. Firstly, because not many people seem to know what perry is and secondly, because we really weren’t expecting to have enough pears to make a perry for some time yet.

Perry is an alcoholic drink made from fermented pears in much the same way that we make cider from apples but, traditionally, it is naturally sweeter. Napoleon famously dubbed it the ‘English Champagne‘ but, despite being widely enjoyed in the past, it is fairly rare to come across an English perry now. That’s mostly because pears are much more tricky to manage than apples or grapes. Barny planted a small perry orchard on a friend’s farm 15 years ago and forgot about it. The saying goes ‘you plant pears for the heirs’! So he was surprised to hear from his friend last autumn that the orchard was brimming with fruit.

New Perry

Barny added his pears to those grown in an orchard that we manage for our friends at the sublime Deer Park country house to create a wonderfully rich and delicious perry. Crafted from Blakeney Red, Green Horse, Brandy and Gin pears, it is delicate and floral, crisp, fragrant and fresh with ripe pear, citrus acidity and a subtle tropical nose. It is lighter and more aromatic than our session ciders and much more akin to our fine cider Katjas. At 7.5% ABV, it’s not designed to be glugged by the pint but instead makes a great British alternative to a glass of sparkling wine! Enjoy it with roasted chicken, creamy pasta, grilled fish or simply on its own. If the last time you tried a perry was when Babycham was in fashion, it is time to think again! Be quick and get yourself a bottle of our limited edition perry to raise a glass to the sun’s appearance. We don’t think you will be disappointed.

Katja Rosé the TV Superstar

Our highly acclaimed Katja Rosé sits alongside our new perry in our fine cider category and is another drink perfect for toasting spring’s arrival. Katja Rosé is a sumptuous sparkling skin-contact rosé cider, produced using the Martinotti method. Lovingly crafted in Crediton from locally grown Katja dessert apples, the juice is fermented with Rondo grapes from a nearby vineyard bestowing wine notes and an unmistakable rosé finish. It is a fresh and fruity cider which tastes of sun ripened cherries and peaches, with hints of apple blossom and candyfloss, balanced with tannins from the wineskins. It is the perfect all-British alternative to a pink bubbly and it is the TV star of our range. It has appeared on ITV’s Love Your Weekend and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and wowed the hosts and cleared our shelves each time. At 8% ABV, it is another one for champagne flutes not pint glasses but compared to the alcohol content in wine, it is a much lower alcohol drink for long lunches and afternoons in the sun.

Fruity Little Numbers

If you are looking for a cider that you can drink by the pint then spring is the perfect time to try one of our flavoured ciders. When you hear the term ‘flavoured’ you might think that we mean cider with added synthetic flavourings but that’s not how we work at Sandford Orchards. All our flavoured ciders are created by adding real fruit juices to our fermented apples. Our Raspberry cider for example, is created by adding the juice of raspberries to dial up the sunshine and add a little extra zip to the finish. We do the same with our Blackberry and Cherry ciders, using the juice of locally grown fruits. For Elderflower, we mix in aromatic elderflowers for that unmistakable flavour of spring. For Devon Rosé we add English grown, Pinot Noir and Rondo grape skins to create a subtly sweet cider with a bright fresh finish and a beautiful natural blush colouring. All our fruit ciders are relatively low alcohol (just 3.4% ABV) making them light, refreshing, springtime drinks that are perfect for lunchtime tipples, picnics and BBQs.

Of course, we believe that all our ciders taste great all year round but a new season brings the ideal opportunity to try something different. We’re not suggesting that you give up your Devon Red completely but this could be the perfect excuse to broaden your cider horizons. If you are uncertain about which ones you might like, order yourself a mixed case and get a few friends over to help you judge them. We guarantee that someone will find a new favourite and everyone will enjoy the process.

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We’ve had an exciting few months with lots of TV appearances. In November, Barny and the cider works featured on BBC’s The One Show, showcasing our DNA mapping work. Then, in December, Devon Red appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and wowed Olly Smith, Matt Tebbutt and his guests.

In March, Red Zero appeared on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, who loved it so much we sent him some more. Also, in March, the Thorverton Arms appeared on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed and treated their guests to a private tour at Sandford Orchards, which we’d like to think contributed in no small part to their winning!

We have had some great coverage in the press too including Red Zero being named ‘Best non alcoholic cider’ in The Guardian and getting rave reviews in City AM plus Katja Rosé being voted ‘Best Easter Rosé’ by Woman & Home.

Meet the cider makers

Our cider makers, Andy May-Macleod and Jake White, are the dynamic duo that work with Barny to provide the skills, expertise, science and passion that transforms our humble apples into Sandford Orchards’ award-winning ciders. Andy moved to Devon from Kent, looking for a job in the cider industry, having developed a passion for ‘real cider’ as a lad. He started as a harvest temp at Sandford Orchards and, eight years on, his role has changed somewhat but it’s clearly a job that he loves. He says: “For me, the creativity of making cider is what excites me so much. I love blending cider, in particular.” Jake has been making cider for over fourteen years, the last two of which he has been part of the team at Sandford Orchards. He says: “It’s really rewarding to think that a recipe we perfect now will be made over and over to bring thousands of people enjoyment in the form of truly delicious cider!’ To find out more head to ‘The Drop’ on our website.

New Limited Edition Perry

We have just launched a brand new, limited edition, 2024 vintage Perry (ABV 7.5%). It’s crafted from Blakeney Red, Green Horse, Brandy and Gin pears and available in 750ml bottles. It is a delicate floral perry that is crisp, fragrant and fresh with ripe pear, citrus acidity and a subtle tropical nose. It pairs perfectly with roasted chicken, creamy pasta or grilled fish.

British Cider Week

British Cider Week celebrates the depth and diversity of British cider. The week features events across the country hosted by a wide range of producers, from new young startups to traditional producers with generations of heritage. We are always keen to bring the joy of cider to as many people as possible so we are delighted to be part of British Cider Week and its efforts to celebrate and promote cider to a wider audience. As part of the celebrations, Barny will be opening up the cellar for an intimate Tour of the Barrels.

Franklins Night

Sandford Orchards will be marking Franklin’s Night with a special event at The Cider Works in Crediton on Saturday 17th May 2025. Franklin’s Night is based on an old folklore that suggests a brewer called Franklin, who was keen to reduce the availability of cider, made a pact with the devil to send a frost in May to hit the cider apple blossom. In order to enjoy a bountiful crop of apples, there has to be a healthy blossom coverage in the spring. To avoid this late freeze, the old story goes, the cider maker needed to throw the devil off the bridge!

The evening kicks off at 6.30pm on 17th May and will celebrate this ancient tradition with a reenactment, live music, food and cider. Tickets cost £10.00 (over 12s only) and can be bought here.

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