Among the cider makers preparing for next month’s Wells Cathedral Cider & Cheese Festival are Bray’s, which makes its cider from the apples of regenerative orchards near Adam and Jess Bray’s farm in Wrantage, Taunton. Photo: Bray’s Cider
Next month, cider and cheese makers from across Somerset will be setting up their stalls at Wells Cathedral, to take part in its first Cider & Cheese Festival.
Event organisers at the cathedral are inviting cider and cheese connoisseurs to sample a vast range of Somerset’s best produce, and to meet local makers and experts, while enjoying a special programme of live music and family activities.
The new festival is part of Wells Cathedral’s drive to welcome more people into the building, as The Very Reverend Toby Wright, Dean of Wells, explained:
“At Wells Cathedral, we are pursuing the bold ambition to become this country’s most joyful cathedral. And as part of that vision, we want to ensure that Wells Cathedral is a place where the whole of our local community feels warmly welcomed.
“So, we are truly grateful for the generous support of our sponsors – including Mogers Drewett, Thatchers, Charlie Bigham’s, Bray’s Cider and St Andrew’s Press – which has made this event possible.
“Bringing together Somerset’s rich tradition of world-class cider and cheese makers in this beautiful cathedral will, I am sure, be a truly joyful occasion for everyone!”
Cider fans at the event will be able to enjoy glasses of the county’s favourite tipple from local cider makers such as Bray’s Cider, which is made from the apples of regenerative orchards within five miles of Adam and Jess Bray’s farm in Wrantage, near Taunton. Wilkins Cider will also be at the event. Made at his farm in Mudgley, Roger Wilkins’ Dry Farmhouse Cider has been rated Number One Somerset Cider by The Independent. Other cider makers confirmed for the event include Burrow Hill, Dowding’s, Glastonbury Abbey, Harry’s, Honey’s, Porlock, Rich’s, Sandford Orchards, Sheppy’s, Thatchers, Tricky and Jacks.
Alternative drinks will also be on offer, including cocktails and gin from Still Sisters, Wells Cathedral’s own ‘Dean Turner’s’ gins, wines from Canned Wine Co. and non-alcoholic options from Wise Bartender.
Cheese connoisseurs will be well catered for in the cathedral, with offerings including Wookey Hole Cheddar and The Bath Soft Cheese Company. Wookey Hole’s cheese is matured naturally in the Somerset caves – a process which the makers say gives the cheddar its distinctive earthy and nutty flavours. The Bath Soft Cheese Company, run by the Padfield family at Park Farm in Kelston, makes traditional Bath Soft Cheese, Bath Blue and Kelston Park, as well as the intriguingly named Wyfe of Bath and Merry Wyfe.
Offerings from Barber’s, Glastonbury Cheeses, Lye Cross Farm and The Newt in Somerset will also be waiting to be discovered in the cathedral’s nave.
Alongside the food and drink tasting, the cathedral’s event organisers promise a fun-filled programme of entertainment from Somerset-based performers, including tribute band The Mangledwurzels, community pop choir PRP Contemporary Voices, and seven-piece covers band Jukebox Banned.
Wells Cathedral Cider & Cheese Festival takes place on Saturday 27 September, from 12 noon until 9pm. Tickets cost £17.50 for adults and £12.50 for under 18s, including access to all activities on the day, two half-pint drink tokens, an event programme with tasting notes, and a commemorative glass. Additional drink tokens will be available at the event, priced £2.50 each.