UK brewery, supplier and exporter of craft beer and cider. Westons Cider produces a portfolio of leading cider brands including Henry Westons & Stowford Press and has won hundreds of international awards across its portfolio. Using traditional bittersweet apples give us that authentic, refreshing taste.
Company Description:
The UK’s leading authentic cider maker established in 1880.
Our market-leading and award-winning brands include Stowford Press & Henry Westons, available in over 50 markets worldwide.
Independently minded and independently made, Westons Cider was founded in 1880 by the original Henry Weston. Roll forward to 2020, Westons Cider produces a portfolio of leading cider brands including Henry Westons & Stowford Press and has won hundreds of international awards across its portfolio.
Still very much a family-owned and family-run business to this day, we do things our own way. Not the quick way, not the easy way but the right way and that takes time. It’s what makes us as refreshingly real as our cider.
What makes Westons Cider unique? A commitment to doing things the right way. It takes time, but we can do this because we’re independent. For instance, we’ve invested in juice storage which allows us to develop great flavour profiles. Some of our liquids can be matured for up to 18 months. This freedom to marry traditional techniques with the best modern technology is why I love being a Cider Maker.
Using traditional bittersweet apples give us that authentic, refreshing taste. In addition to our own orchards, we also have fantastic local growers who supply us with premium fruit. It’s all about provenance and trust – some have been working with us for generations.
It allows us to take in the many cider apple varieties once they are ripe and picked. After careful washing, the fruit is milled into pulp. At peak flow, we generate up to 40 tonnes per hour. Pressing the pulp extracts the pure, fresh juice, ready for fermentation.
The stainless steel tanks keep the juice under control and allow for a consistent flavour, time and time again.
When ready, the juice can then be transferred into oak vats to mature.
Once fermentation has happened, our cider starts to develop its character and depth of flavour. We store in oak and steel vats to allow the liquid to mature. Some of our oak vats are over 200 years old. The largest – Squeak – holds 42,107 gallons.
