How we make our Dorset border cider: from orchard to bottle
At Laycock Cider, we make cider the way it has always been made in this part of the world: slowly, naturally, and without a chemical in sight. Here’s how a batch of our award-winning Dorset border cider goes from apple tree to your glass.
It starts with the orchard
Our orchard sits on the Somerset-Dorset border, surrounded by countryside that’s alive with wildlife. Owls, foxes, rabbits and birds of prey all share the land with our flock of sheep, who graze quietly beneath the apple trees and keep the grass in check naturally, without the need for machinery or chemicals.
We don’t use pesticides or artificial fertilisers on our land. The trees grow as they should, the apples develop at their own pace, and the result is fruit with real depth of flavour, the kind you simply can’t replicate with shortcuts.
Harvesting the apples
Come autumn, the apples are harvested from our orchard. Timing matters enormously here. Pick too early and the sugars haven’t fully developed; too late and you lose freshness. We wait until the fruit is ready, not until it’s convenient.
The varieties we grow are traditional cider apples, bittersweet and bittersharp types that have been used for cidermaking across the West Country for centuries. These aren’t eating apples. They’re tannin-rich and often quite sharp on their own, but in the press they produce a juice that’s complex, aromatic, and full of character.
Pressing
Once harvested, the apples are washed and milled to create a pulp, known in the trade as pomace. The pomace is then pressed to extract the juice. We handpress in small batches, which takes longer but gives us far more control over the process and the quality of the juice we’re working with.
Nothing is added to the juice at this stage. No sugar, no concentrates, no water. What goes into the fermentation vessel is exactly what came out of the apple.
Fermentation
The fresh apple juice is left to ferment naturally, using the wild yeasts that occur on the apple skins and in the air of the orchard. This is where the magic happens, and where patience becomes the most important ingredient.
Natural fermentation is slower and less predictable than using commercially produced yeasts, but it produces a far more interesting cider. The flavours that develop during a long, slow fermentation are what give our Dorset border cider its character, something no amount of additives or flavourings could replicate.
No chemicals. Ever.
We don’t use artificial colours, flavourings, or preservatives at any stage of production. Our cider is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and what you taste in the glass is exactly what the orchard gave us, nothing more, nothing less.
We often get asked why we bother doing it the hard way. The honest answer is that we’ve never seriously considered doing it any other way. The land doesn’t use chemicals. The apples don’t need them. Neither does the cider.
From the barrel to your door
Once fermented and settled, our cider is bottled or barrelled and available through our online shop for delivery across the UK. Or visit us at the Cider Barn on the Dorset border to try before you buy; we’d always recommend that.
We produce a range of styles: medium dry, sparkling, medium sweet, and seasonal specials, all made from the same orchard, the same apples, and the same unhurried process.
Ready to try it for yourself? Browse our full range of award-winning natural ciders and order online for delivery to your door, or come and find us at the Cider Barn. We’re always happy to chat.
