Orchards at Thornfalcon

Traditionally planted, our aim is to rejuvenate the orchards and restore them to their full vigour, planting further traditional British apple varieties in the coming years.

The majority of our orchards are prime cider apples, bred for quality over yield. Our apple trees span four varieties – Kingston Black, Stembridge Cluster, Porters Perfection and Browns, plus a few more ancient trees. To create the best juice, we farm with zero spraying and fertilise only with grazing sheep, abundant grasses, herbs and the fauna that flourish in our orchards.

Mass-produced cider is increasingly made with imported apple concentrate with a token percentage of actual fruit. We only use 100% fresh Somerset apple juice in all our produce because the shires of the Southwest can produce cider apples matched in very few parts of the world. We are bringing back traditional cider making to our farm with the original 19^th Century cider press, combining ancient techniques that trace Somerset’s cider making history with modern cider and winemaking knowledge.

Thornfalcon’s cider will be a variety of refined styles focusing on bouche, or keeved cider. These are fermented and matured with indigenous yeasts in steel vats and oak barrels, before finishing fermentation in champagne bottles - a slow sipping and aromatic alternative to wine.