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Wilding

@wildingcider

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Natural, Fine Cider and Perry.
Farmers/makers in N. Somerset.
Regenerative farming, traditional orchards, agroforestry, zero additions. Chew Magna.

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Apples Apples Apples! We are into the apples now and they are starting to fall quickly. The orchards have confounded the doom and gloom of the news (headlines are after a mega crop last year most people will have a light year this year, and that was the case to a large extent before the drought was here). Where the soils are good and trees established we have generous crops on the trees which rested last year, so we’re on track for lots of fruit, I’m just not sure we have the capacity to use it all.
Early signs are that this will be another excellent vintage like last year. Sugars on pears have been high, all in the range 1.072-1.082 so far. Sugars in apples are also high and this bodes well for when we really get into the bulk of the apples later on. This week we are doing cider for distilling and the first portion of Major Minor 2026, as well as some early dropping stoke red which will be hoarded for blending a later in the season. Trees with lighter crops are dropping sooner than usual so we have to be on our toes!
Pics: Bisquet, lots of them/and pretty big too, my hands are larger than average/well flushed Browns half down already/Foxwhelp and Nehou from earlier in the season, both for distilling/Sandford Jersey, already half dropped but proving itself very reliable and happy as a tree, recovering well after quite severe restoration pruning. Planted 1951. by @wildingcider

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17 days ago

We’re delighted to welcome Sam Leech to the FŌDA 2026 Symposium.

Founder of @wildingcider Sam’s journey through food has taken him from butcher and baker to chef, restaurateur and, now, cider maker. Having returned to his native Somerset with his wife, Beccy, the pair now organically farm traditional orchards in the Chew Valley, producing natural fine cider, perry and spirits.

Rooted in a deep respect for the landscape, Wilding Cider celebrates traditional orchards, biodiversity and low intervention farming, proving that great cider begins long before the fruit reaches the press.

We’re looking forward to hearing Sam’s perspective on the importance of protecting traditional orchards, regenerative farming and why cider has such an important role to play in the future of British food and drink.

Join us on Saturday 26th September at Arnolfini, Bristol.

Book your symposium tickets via the link in our bio.

#FODA2026 #WildingCider #SomersetCider #TraditionalOrchards #VisitBristol by @wildingcider

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a month ago

Well, the rain has come, and the drought is over. We’ve had a pretty decent amount in the last few days, enough to get the grass growing again and bring the veg garden back to life. It was a delicious feeling walking around in the drizzle on Thursday checking gutters and downpipes which have been unused in months. It looks like we will get quite a bit more in the coming weeks which is a reminder that what goes around comes around in our maritime climate.
Lots of people have asked how the apples are doing this summer and really they’re doing fine, with the exception of early (ish) cropping varieties like Bulmer’s Norman which has stress dropped lots this year that won’t be useable. Good thing it’s not my favourite apple! I’ve been deeply stressed about the general picture - silage yields, cereal harvests, grass growth, vegetable crops are all down this year and I’m not sure what use a fine cider renaissance will be in a world of food rationing and general belt tightening. There are a few varieties of cider apple that I think will fall by the wayside with climate change but the most pressing need is to shift to methods of farming (at scale, and at speed) which prioritise soil health and soil organic matter, include trees, integrate livestock, mix land use and focus hard on resilience and a long term view over yield. The days of high input high output, medicated crops are coming to an end. The comparison between healthy soil traditional orchards and herbicide strip bush orchards this year has been very stark to see. Biennialism, usually considered an aberration by tonnage driven growers has show itself to be very helpful too - Burlands and Abbot’s Leigh both had off years last year and are cropping well and healthily this year. By letting the trees express themselves naturally they are really well able to moderate themselves to the weather conditions. I have so much I want to say about this topic, this is just a few thoughts off the top of my head for now. The media is telling tales of disaster for cider orchards this year - this is a narrow and probably unhelpful reading of the situation. More on that later. Also will talk about quality… by @wildingcider

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2 months ago

Last autumn, our store manager (and resident cider fanatic) Markus spent a few days harvesting apples with Sam and Beccy in Somerset. He came back convinced that he had discovered some of the finest ciders Britain has to offer.
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Based in Chew Magna, just south of Bristol, Wilding makes traditional Somerset ciders with remarkable precision. But what makes these ciders truly special is the combination of old-school craftsmanship and an almost obsessive attention to detail.
The apples come from traditional orchards, are left to fully ripen until they fall off the tree, and are picked from the ground. The ciders ferment slowly with wild yeasts. Nothing is rushed. The result is cider with real depth, structure and a clear sense of place.
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Sam and Beccy are not only two of the loveliest people you'll ever meet, they're also deeply connected to their region and its traditions. During our visit in June, it was a joy to see sheep grazing beneath the old orchard trees surrounding their home. Besides making cider, they also run a market garden that supplies local restaurants and produce apple brandy and vinegars.
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These are ciders that tell a story of Somerset, of traditional orchards and of the people who dedicate their lives to preserving them. We can't wait to hear what you think. These ciders can now be found in our stores and webshop. taken in Pieksman Wijnen by @wildingcider

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2 months ago

CIDER WEEK (ISH) IS HERE 🍏

Official Cider Week’s been pushed back to September, but we weren’t waiting around, so we’ve kicked off our own version in the meantime. “Week” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here: these ciders are on until they’re gone.

Three on tap right now, poured up in the sunshine.

@branchciderco, Bristol Blend (5%) – a take on the classic Bristol pub cider. Juicy, tannic bittersweet apples from Bristol’s Far Orchard, blended with a dash of zingy local dessert apples.

@branchciderco, The Goat (5%) – a dry sparkling cider, also made with apples from Bristol’s Far Orchard.

@wildingcider, Symphony (4.8%) – pure bittersweet juice blended from Wilding’s favourite bittersweet varieties across all their orchards. Made using the Rural Method to retain some residual sugar, balancing the tannins for a really easy drink. A distinctively Somerset style.

There are a couple of others knocking about behind the bar too, but stocks are limited, so don’t hang about.

Cheers, folks. by @wildingcider

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2 months ago

We have been feeling really lacking in motivation for Instagram and technology in general, and suddenly more than half a year has passed since we last shared anything of interest. Which is not to say that nothing of interest has occurred, just that this doesn’t feel like a great platform to dedicate time to. And yet there are many interesting people here still and in the absence of a better plan to promote our small business, we probably ought to share something positive.

So here is Rob, in the morning light in Abbot’s Orchard, tending to our young trees, planted in March. I’m really pleased with most of these because even though they went into the ground much later than would be ideal - and they are in the midst of a drought - growth has been strong. We bought crab apple seedlings, most of them year old and very cheap. This is to supplement our home grown seedlings but I’ve been impressed with how they are doing so far. The seedling in the picture was cut back to about knee height and is now over five foot. Pretty good from a late March planting. These will later be grafted to our chosen varieties to fit in the current scheme.
Why choose seedlings?

1) The oldest trees on M25 rootstocks are not yet really old, and so as a variety I don’t yet think it is proven. The really old trees in orchards are on seedling stock.

2) M25 is very vigorous and I think that sometimes the vigour of the tree is not matched by root vigour enough to anchor it. I regularly see standards on M25 reaching a decent size before flopping right over when they get their first crop.

3) We grow lots of varieties of apples and one key driver of that is to have resilience against weather, pests, disease or ground conditions which favour or harm certain varieties. To then grow all of those on genetically identical rootstocks feels like introducing a major vulnerability into the system.

4) All vegetatively propagated apple rootstocks are basically adventitious roots becoming the whole system. Seedlings grow deeper, stronger tap roots and seem to develop much better anchoring. Liz Copas states that they do better in wet conditions and I suspect also better in the dry. by @wildingcider

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3 months ago

What a day at the Green Scythe Fair!

You drank the bar dry.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered the cider competition. We had such an incredible response this year!

Congratulations to all of our winners:

🏆 Grand Champion
Steve Faulkner – Molly’s Sweet Cider

🏅 Open Class Dry
Steve Faulkner – Pyrland Blend

🥈 Runner-Up Dry
Mark Melbourne – Mel’s Orchard Dry @markmelbournepottery

🏅 Open Class Medium
Elinor Busby – Church Farmhouse Cider

🥈 Runner-Up Medium
Mark Melbourne – Mel’s Orchard Medium

🏅 Open Class Sweet
Steve Faulkner – Molly’s Sweet Cider

A huge thank you to our judges, Bill Bradshaw, Matt from Tricky Cider and Beccy from Wilding’s Cider, for their time, knowledge and good humour throughout the judging, and Matin for taking all the notes! @billbradshaw @trickycider @wildingcider

And a suitably cheesy shout-out to Barbers Farmhouse Cheddar @barberscheese , just down the road, for keeping our judges’ palates refreshed with some excellent Somerset cheddar.

A massive thank you also goes to our bar team, who didn’t stop all day, and to every single person who came along to support the cider bar. Between you, you drank more than 400 litres of cider, an incredible effort and proof that Somerset’s love of cider is alive and well.

Thank you to everyone at the Green Scythe Fair for putting on another fantastic event celebrating traditional crafts, rural skills, sustainability and community. We are always proud to be part of it.

And finally, thank you to Sara from Stable Design and Hidden Somerset, who spent the day capturing the people, stories and cider-soaked fun that make events like this so special. @stable_design_ltd and @hidden_somerset

Here’s to the orchards, the cider makers, the volunteers, the visitors and everyone who helped make it such a brilliant day. Until next year! taken in Thorney Lakes by @wildingcider

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4 months ago

Amazing photos from yesterday’s trip to @wildingcider courtesy of @dbergamini 📸❤️

We walked 7.5km from The George & Dragon pub at Pensford, through Stanton Drew and Chew Magna, finishing at Wilding Orchard with a good thirst for some amazing cider. Thanks for Beccy and Sam for giving us the royal treatment.

Wilding’s next open orchard day will be July 11. by @wildingcider

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4 months ago

Celebrate the summer solstice (Sunday 21st of June) in the most wonderful way; with some truly exquisite ciders & perries at @40ftbrewery on Blackhorse Road.

The peak of the summer, it’s longest day, and what better way to celebrate with than fine cider; the apples having grown under the summer sun a year or two before, each summer shaping that vintage in exactly the same manner as wine.

We’ll have cider & perry makers @tomoliverscider @findcider @wildingcider all there in person, pouring tasters (and all available by the glass and bottle into the evening), tacos by the brilliant @acmetaco , both the indoor bar and big sunny terrace (families very much welcome). And for those of you keen on the World Cup, we’ll be screening the Spain and Belgium games.

No ticket necessary, just join us on the day.

Kick off is at noon, the cider maker tasting will run from 1pm to 4pm, and the event will go on into the evening, until after the sun sets… 🌞 taken in Blackhorse Road by @wildingcider

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4 months ago

Join us right here @wildingcider next Saturday…

🌷Hike from Pensford to Chew Magna
🌷BYO picnic for lunch + buy cider and perries onsite
🌷Cab share back to Bristol
🌷Exact times TBD / Plans are weather dependent

Joiners coming by car are welcome. Please just let me know you plan to be there.

RSVP or request more info via DM or Meetup. 😘

#orchards #ciderandperry #somerset #bristolevents by @wildingcider

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4 months ago

Based in Somerset, Beccy and Sam of Wilding Cider are widely regarded as some of the region’s most innovative producers. Their craft is defined by a commitment to minimal intervention and a deep respect for the landscape.

They hand-harvest fruit from traditional, biodiverse orchards that serve as chemical-free grazing land for livestock. In the cellar, this philosophy continues with fermentations powered exclusively by wild yeasts, entirely eschewing the use of sulphites, filtration, or pasteurisation to produce ciders that are poised, clean, and full of character.

@wildingcider will be joining us for the London Cider Salon and the Trade Day at the Tate Modern later this month!

We are also delighted to present seven new releases, ranging from food-friendly dry ciders to rare and unique high-ABV perries.

✨ Burlands 2024: An approachable, soft single-orchard blend featuring hints of cinnamon and ripe berries.

✨ Stoke Red 2024: Their first single-variety SR release in four years; a medium-sweet cider with delicate rosewater and strawberry notes.

✨ When The Fieldfares Come 2024: A full-bodied, bittersweet blend offering bright acidity and notes of orange and leather.

✨ Burlands 2023: A robust and lightly sparkling medium cider defined by notes of red apple, leather, and baking spice.

✨ November 2024: A luxurious sparkling perry with notes of poached pear, sweet almond, and sticky date flavors. A very limited release this time!

✨ Major / Minor 2023: A structured, still, and bone-dry cider with a food-friendly mineral finish.

✨ Moorcroft 2022: A bold, rare single-variety perry with a high ABV and a character reminiscent of lemon marmalade and honeydew.

In addition to these bottles, we have two new curated selections for you, one featuring the latest releases and another offering a vertical tasting of the Burlands single-orchard blends.

Head over online for more info and the tickets.

See you at the Salon! taken in Tate Modern by @wildingcider

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5 months ago

by @wildingcider

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5 months ago