Their story
Minchew's is a long-established small-scale cider and perry maker at Aston Cross near Tewkesbury, run by Kevin Minchew, who began making cider commercially around 1993. Using an old stone-slab mill and press and fermenting in oak barrels, he built up one of the widest ranges of single-variety ciders and perries in the country, from apples and perry pears bought from old orchards across the Cotswolds, the Severn Vale and the Forest of Dean. Minchew's won many of the leading UK cider and perry titles through the 1990s. Production is now small, sold in limited quantities through a handful of local shops, pubs and markets.
No orchard of his own; fruit is bought from old, often uncultivated orchards across the Cotswolds, the Severn Vale (Herefordshire/Worcestershire border) and the Forest of Dean, some containing pear trees over a century old.
Apples and pears they nameDabinett, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Redstreak, Tremlett's Bittersweet, Sheep's Snout, Stoke Red, Reine des Hâtives, Yarlington Mill, Cat's Head, Blakeney Red, Butt, Gin, Barnet, Red Horse, Moorcroft, Red Longdon, White Longdon, Oldfield, Rock
What they make
- Isabel's Orchard 8.4% ABV, medium-dry blend
- Yarlington Mill & Stoke Red 8.4% ABV, dry, crisp
- Dabinett 7.5% ABV, dry, single variety
- Blakeney Red 6.5% ABV, medium-dry perry
- Hedgehog/Barnett 7.3% ABV, dry, crisp perry
Visiting
No farm shop or public visiting advertised; sold through third-party retail outlets and a handful of farmers' markets, including Tewkesbury Farmers' Market on the second Saturday of the month.
Where to buy
- A Basket For All Seasons, Newent Stockist
- The Beehive, Cheltenham Stockist
- Green Valley Cider, Exeter Stockist
- English Farm Cyder Centre, Firle, Sussex Stockist
- York Beer Shop, York Stockist
Their own site points to online retailer Orchard Hive & Vine, which has not been independently confirmed as still stocking them.