This week we have been tending fragrant roses in the Cottage Garden and taking in the final ‘hurrah’ of apple blossom in the Parabola.

In the kitchen gardens, we have been planting out green beans and preparing the fruit cages, which will provide a generous crop of summer fruits for our chefs to use in all manner of imaginative ways, from cakes and preserves to sorbet and gelato.

Away from the garden, it’s been an eventful week for our small but perfectly formed cyder team, who have been busy in the Cellar labelling and preparing the very first release from our new fine cyder range, a beautifully blush Rosé.

With weeks ahead of long summer afternoons in the garden, we’re dreaming of picking berries, tucking into fresh salads and snacking on antipasti. And now we have the perfect Somerset tipple to match: a pink fusion of strawberries and cream, with a hint of redcurrant and autumn blackberry tartness.

Our Cyder Maker Paul Ross has been developing this unique thirst-quencher for over two years. Inspired by visits to the cyder-making regions of Austria, France and Germany, he wanted to create a true rosé cyder made with 100% apples, and nothing else.

The apple picked for the job was the aptly named Red Love. Known for its distinctive pink flesh, its crimson juice runs from our cyder press before heading to our cellar to be cold fermented – resulting in an intense candy colour.

“With a delicate balance between acidity and sweetness, our Fine Rosé Cyder is a crisp palate cleanser that goes perfectly with creamy goats’ cheese, or our estate buffalo mozzarella.” Paul Ross, Cyder Maker.

Serve chilled in a wine glass or try in a refreshing summer cocktail, such as our Somerset Sorbet Cooler, using our new Strawberry & Elderflower Sorbet:

Somerset Sorbet Cooler

  • Fine Rosé Cyder
  • 1 x scoop The Newt Strawberry & Elderflower Sorbet
  • A dash of Babylonstoren Sprankel (optional)
  • Fresh strawberries or elderflower, to garnish

Ensure that your Fine Rosé Cyder is chilled to 6-8°C.

Place one scoop of sorbet into a shallow glass, such as a martini glass or champagne coupe.

Pour over the cyder to the top of the glass.

Top with a dash of Babylonstoren Sprankel (optional), and garnish with fresh strawberry or elderflower.

Cheers from the cyder team! Greg Carnell, Paul Ross and Dominic Gower.