Welcome to a year on Broome Farm.
Click on any of the images to see the larger
picture.
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History of
the farm.
The farm has been the home of
the Johnson family for over 70 years. The 65 acre farm has been
put to many uses during this time including a dairy herd, potato
growing, sheep and more recently alpacas. In 1974 the first of the
commercial orchards contracted to Bulmers, the Hereford cider makers,
was planted. This enterprise has grown in recent years and today is the
main farming activity occupying 40 acres of the 65.
Today Mike Johnson runs the farming activities looking after the
orchards and managing the cider and perry production. Mike’s sister
Hilary, with her husband John, run Broome Farmhouse offering Bed &
Breakfast, evening meals, cream teas and cider cakes. |
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Wassailing
Celebrating the start of the year.
On Twelfth Night mysterious things happen in the orchard! A ‘Butler’
leads the farmer and his friends to the oldest apple tree in the orchard
to recite poems and sing songs to awaken the apple trees, to ensure a
good harvest later in the year and to frighten away evil spirits. |
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Blossom Time
(The prettiest time of the year?)
In May
the orchards are shrouded in apple and pear blossom. The
blossom varies from white through to delicate pinks. The
orchard is alive to the sound of bees busy pollinating the
flowers. Birds are actively encouraged to eat grubs that
infest the trees. |
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Apples
Cider apples come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Most
cider apples are
inedible (sharps and bittersweets).
Broome Farm has over 70 varieties of cider apple and pear. The apples
and pears have quaint old English names: -
Cider Apples:
Michelin, Dabinett, Major, Somerset Redstreak, Balls bittersweet,
Foxwhelp, Ellis Bitter, Ashton bittersweet and Brown Snout.
Perry Pears:
Butt, Barland, Oldfield, Brandy, Brinsop, Hendre Huffcap, Thorn, Taynton
Squash and Blakeney Red |
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Harvesting the
Apples
From Mike’s orchards, most of the apples are supplied to international
commercial cider makers, but Mike has always made his own cider and
perry using ancient traditional methods. Initially, as with most
farmers, cider and perry were made for his own farmhouse consumption.
The fruit
ripens from October and harvesting goes into December. Some fruit is
harvested mechanically but much is still gathered in the old traditional
way! |
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Making cider and perry.
The fruit is washed and pulped before being pressed. The Broome
Farm cider and perry is made from the whole fruit – once pressed the
juice is allowed to ferment with its own natural yeasts. Nothing
else is added to the process, the farm cider is a natural
product. The oldest original tree here is a pear tree, believed to
be over 200 years old!!! It still produces pears for perry making!! |
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Letting the
juice ferment.
The apple and perry juice is left to ferment in barrels. Some in
plastic and some in used rum and whisky barrels which impart a
distinctive flavour to the brew.
The cider
and perry is left to ferment at its own pace. The fermentation process
only uses the natural sugar in the fruit. This means the cider maker
must use his skill to determine the right mix of sharp and bittersweet
apple. Every year the sugar levels in the fruit vary depending on the
summer conditions. Sometimes Mike makes single variety cider. These
can taste excellent but can often highlight both the good and poor
characteristics of the chosen fruit. This traditional method of
fermentation makes a dry cider, the drink of the connoisseurs! For
those who prefer it, sugar syrup is added to sweeten the brew. |
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Selling Cider
and Perry to the public.
When the fermentation is complete, the cider and perry is
siphoned off to clean barrels for storage. By May the products are
ready to sell. Much is sold straight from the barrel.
Some
is bottled. |
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Mike and his
family live in a beautiful valley just outside Ross-on-Wye and love to
share it with visitors. In addition the farmyard is used for a
number of traditional activities from BBQs to Morris dancing. Mike runs
a Cider Festival each year and invites local cider and perry makers to
bring some of their produce for comparison.
The farm
cellar is open most days for tasting and sales straight from the
barrels. |
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Then winter
comes and we start all over again! |
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