Cidermen at their surgery checking the brew

TV reporter Clive Gunnell reports on cider making and cider tasting and cider drinking on the Devon Dorset border. This is a charming view into the lives of the cidermen and the bar Will's Surgery. An old petrol engine powers the apple crusher and the cider press is filled to the brim. 600 gallons or 2700 litres are produced and the tasting takes on let's say, singing proportions. The cidermen are in fine fettle.

Craft ciders are produced in small batches and use 90-100 per cent juice compared to an industry standard of 35. Cider in the West Country uses a true cider apple and is often unfiltered, unpasteurised and non-carbonated with some scrumpy cyder in the past having a higher than average alcohol content leading to its reputation for having a rather medicinal quality hinted at in the naming of the bar, Will's Surgery. Other fruits are now also used as cider enjoys a revival; pear; strawberry; lime; adding a twist to an otherwise ancient brand.