The Lambourn Valley Cider Company was formed in December 1995 to produce real Berkshire cider from local apples. Our policy was to use fruit of all types - cookers, eaters, crab apples and even some genuine cider apples such as Dabinett - which grow in orchards and gardens and on farmland in the countryside around Newbury. We have also produced a perry - a rare enough drink anywhere and almost unheard of in Berkshire.

Whatever different varieties of fruit went into the press, they all had one thing in common - they came from trees unsullied by pesticides and growing on land free of artificial fertilisers and agrochemicals. Although we are not registered with the Soil Association, our cider and perry have been effectively organic.

The use of culinary rather than cider apples produces a drink in the tradition of Kent and East Anglia, rather than the West Country. Consequently, our ciders have tended to be fruitier and less nutty than those of Somerset and Herefordshire. On the other hand, our perry was made from what was almost certainly a genuine perry pear.

As from Autumn 2007 we decided to downsize by ceasing the production of cider and concentrating instead on making bottle-fermented perry. In 2012 we decided to cease full-scale production altogether, although we continued to make small amounts for limited distribution.

We finally decided to cease production completely after the 2015 pressing, so that year's cider was known as SWANSONG. We sold all of it during 2016, and were pleased to receive this award from the Huddersfield and District branch of CAMRA.

All our equipment has now been sold, but we are contining to market our stocks of cider vinegar and perry vinegar. See Products