The Yorkshire Dales may not seem the most obvious place to find excellent cider. Hidden away on the fringes of the Dales is Thornborough, a tiny hamlet where a former university music lecturer is creating his own form of apple alchemy.
From his originally scooping up apples and making an experimental batch of cider, Kingsley Ash has gone on to create a strong business, continuing to use traditional methods of cider-making to win awards.
We first drank Thornborough Cider on the recommendation of local chef, Jon Vennell. If he says something is good, it's good! A little later we met Kingsley who offered to take the surplus apples from our trees and turn them into cider. If you still associate cider drinking with the mass-produced version 'enjoyed' by adolescents, you need to try Thornborough Cider as it's a much drier, more sophisticated drink. The apple content is over 90% (mass produced versions contain only around 30% apples). It's naturally sparkling so you can even drink it as an alternative to champagne!
Since he began making cider, Kingsley has planted more apple trees around Thornborough and supplies fine restaurants like Vennells in Masham and good quality wine shops.
I recently came across this short film made by multi-talented Jon Vennells, who also owns Swift Drones - it's great to see what goes into creating Thornborough Cider. You'll also see that Thornborough is quite a special little hamlet with a hidden treasure - the henges, which are really shown to great advantage by the drone footage. Kingsley created the music for the film.
From his originally scooping up apples and making an experimental batch of cider, Kingsley Ash has gone on to create a strong business, continuing to use traditional methods of cider-making to win awards.
We first drank Thornborough Cider on the recommendation of local chef, Jon Vennell. If he says something is good, it's good! A little later we met Kingsley who offered to take the surplus apples from our trees and turn them into cider. If you still associate cider drinking with the mass-produced version 'enjoyed' by adolescents, you need to try Thornborough Cider as it's a much drier, more sophisticated drink. The apple content is over 90% (mass produced versions contain only around 30% apples). It's naturally sparkling so you can even drink it as an alternative to champagne!
Since he began making cider, Kingsley has planted more apple trees around Thornborough and supplies fine restaurants like Vennells in Masham and good quality wine shops.
I recently came across this short film made by multi-talented Jon Vennells, who also owns Swift Drones - it's great to see what goes into creating Thornborough Cider. You'll also see that Thornborough is quite a special little hamlet with a hidden treasure - the henges, which are really shown to great advantage by the drone footage. Kingsley created the music for the film.
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