Meet Barry the founder of New Forest Cider located in the historic village of Burley in the New Forest.
As soon as I met Barry on my foodie tour with @rubyontheroadxx I knew he was quite a character and had a few stories to tell. I was not disappointed, we settled to chat in an old barn in front of roaring wood burner and several mismatched chairs and sofas.
Barry is the 4th generation of his family to live in Burley, he returned to his family home after spending some time living in the West Country, it was there that he discovered a love of cider and decided to embark on his own cider journey way back in 1987. Since then his children have become more and more involved in the company and Barry is taking a bit of a backseat.
From the stories he tells of his flat bed lorry (that apparently he had thatched) and the incredibly early starts to sell his cider at Borough market back in the day, it certainly sounds as if he has earned his slower pace.
The cow pen now operates as a shop selling the cider he produces, samples of cider and perry are freely available whilst browsing a selection of local produce such as Conker Gin, Pothecary Gin, Naked Jam to name but a few.
Using their own orchard apples, together with true cider fruit from traditional orchards pressing takes place from October-December. Unfortunately we missed the annual cider open day that sounds great fun, and a chance to see some of the old machinery in action. Mental note to check the date for next year.
The Cider Pantry was established in 1945, they are open for brunch, lunch and afternoon teas. I have read reviews of visitors that have been eating there for over forty years - so they must be doing something right! Breakfasts are recommended, but equally the cream teas get rave reviews. One thing is for sure you wont go hungry the portions are huge!
So next time you are in the New Forest stop off and say hi to the folks at New Forest Cider, it really is something a bit different and a great place to stop for refreshments.
Pound Lane
Burley
Hampshire
BH24 4ED
Tel: 01425 402193