Artistraw Cider & Appleby’s Cheshire

Try out some wild, fermented natural ciders paired with one of the UK’s last true ‘farmhouse’ dairy cheeses in this exciting tasting event featuring two producers working in harmony with nature.

Lydia Crimp and Tom Tibbits of Artistraw are natural cider makers and small holders based just outside Hay-on-Wye, nestled in the wild Welsh Marches. Both passionate environmentalists, they are restoring ancient orchards and protecting old apple varieties. Their natural, unpasteurised cider contains no added sugar, water or sulphites, and is fermented spontaneously using the apples’ wild yeasts.

Appleby’s Cheese is produced at Hawkstone Abbey Farm, run on biodynamic principles with a focus on provenance and legacy. Each cloth-bound Cheshire encapsulates a moment in time – a product of the soil, grass pastures, the cows and the weather. To raw milk are added traditional cultures, rennet and salt from the Cheshire plains. These time capsules are then matured in old barns with Napoleonic timbers.