Meet our chief cider maker, Mike

After years of working in the insurance industry as an accountant, Mike fancied something with a little more…sparkle.

Q. What made you swap balance sheets for apple trees – was there a “lightbulb moment”?

I had done 25 years working in the insurance industry and was a bit bored of being an accountant. I wanted to make something rather than do numbers! I had always been interested in cider making and cider drinking so my business plan was “if other people can do it, it must be possible. 

Q. What’s been the biggest surprise about making cider compared to working in finance?

The most obvious is that in one you make money and the other you don’t! Conversely, the job satisfaction you get from cider making dwarfs working in finance.

Q. Describe your first ever batch of cider – how did it go?

I had made cider on and off for a few years before 2012 but in 2012 I gave it a proper go. It turned out just about ok but I learnt loads about the need to use proper cider apples, good yeast and proper fermentation. Luckily since then, applying these principles has allowed us to make some exceptional ciders.

Q. What’s a typical day in your life as a cider maker now?

Well, in 2022 I returned to the insurance industry as I needed the money. I appointed a manager to do the marketing and day to day distribution and all the other work that goes with it. However, as there is only one harvest a year I am still able to make the cider each year and ensure we blend it properly to make it as good as it can be when we send it off for bottling. To be honest, I was warned very early in my cider career by a very experienced and multi award winning cider maker (Thanks Peter!) “Well you spend 99% of your time cleaning, clearing up, freezing cold and wet, worrying about whether your fermentation is going well and how it’s going to turn out and doing deliveries. The other 1% you might actually get to drink some cider and pick up a few awards along the way.” He wasn’t wrong.

Q. Do you have a favourite apple variety – and why?

Definitely Harry Masters. A really good cider making apple. Bittersweet (lots of sugar for fermenting and lots of tannin for character). Really good for blending with other varieties to make balanced ciders with lots of character.

Q. What’s one misconception people have about cider making?

There are two really big ones:

Cider is 100% apple juice. Over 80% of cider consumed in the UK has about a 30% juice content (the legal minimum) with the rest made up of water, sugar and citric acid.

Sweet apples make sweet cider. When you ferment apple juice, unless you stop the fermentation early, the yeast will turn all of the sugar into alcohol. Most ciders are back sweetened following fermentation.

Q. What cider moment are you most proud of so far?

Winning the Cotswold Life Food and Drink Award for the “best cider ale or beer” category three years on the bounce.

Q. Any advice for someone dreaming of ditching the 9-5 to pursue something hands-on like this?

It’s not for everyone. It can be full of highs and lows and can’t be relied upon to provide a regular income. However, the highs far outweigh the lows. If I could go back to 2012 and make the decision again, it would be exactly the same answer!