Little Pomona Heads Straight for the Table
Just as the Chancellor announces his mini-budget to support the all-important hospitality sector, Little Pomona launches Table Cider.
A seasonal blend of apples that will be released in parcels in the year following each harvest, Table Cider is cast in the mould of table wine.
Full of fruit, freshness and energy, Table Cider celebrates three things about great dry cider that are possibly even more important than the apples and the techniques used in its production: cider’s sheer joyous drinkability, its easy affinity with food, and the subtle, effortless way it inspires conversation.
“In this most convivial of alcoholic drinks, cider is far greater than the sum of its parts and something Herefordshire-based Little Pomona feels is well worth celebrating,” said co-founder and cidermaker James Forbes.
Table Cider is a careful blend of five different apple varieties – Dabinett, Browns Apple, Egremont Russet, Ellis Bitter and Ashton Bitter – brought together in bottle to reflect the summer season of its release.
Since its inception Little Pomona has proudly championed the apple, that wonderful fruit of the nation’s native wine. They have continuously pushed the boundaries of apple fermentation while letting the fruit lead and giving it time to express itself in its natural state – fully fermented to dryness.
Of Table Cider, James said, “Since many of our releases are small, they can be hard to get hold of. As we thought more about what we are doing as makers we realised that it is in the sharing of cider with friends and family and crucially, food, where its true value lies. We wanted to create a cider to reflect this which was both affordable and also more available.”
Table Cider will appear in batches throughout the year. “We have over 50 different possible cider components maturing in our cidery,” said fellow founder, Susanna Forbes. “We will be making the most of this and matching each batch of Table Cider to both the season and the dishes on everyone’s tables.”
“We decided to finish the fermentation in the bottle and leave it undisgorged in its natural state,” assistant cidermaker, Blair Côté, said. “That means sediment, which is a joy – there’s a ton of flavour there! – so gently rouse the bottle before pouring.”
AVAILABILITY
Table Cider (7.3% abv) is available in 75cl bottles with an RRP of £8-8.50.
Trade – Table Cider is available from The Fine Cider Company in London and nationwide, and from ReStalk in Scotland and Northern England.
Retail www.littlepomona.com direct or see stockist list on the website.
