Their story
Stones Cider is a small cider producer in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, run since 2009 by father-and-son team Alan and Richard Stone, who started out making cider in their garden shed. The operation has stayed small-scale: it has no shop or cellar door, and cider is sold at Shepton Mallet's Friday Market, at Eat Festivals events, and through a handful of local pubs. Apples are bought in fresh from known Somerset orchards rather than grown by the Stones themselves, with juice typically pressed within 24 hours of picking. Fruit includes around 14 traditional varieties from the historic Glastonbury Abbey Orchard alongside named cider apples. Their dry cider has placed in the farmhouse dry class at the British Cider Championships in several years, and the business has also picked up results at Somerset, Bath and West, Royal Cornwall and Yeovil shows.
Stones do not have their own orchards; they buy freshly harvested apples from known Somerset growers, including around 14 traditional varieties from the historic Glastonbury Abbey Orchard.
Apples and pears they nameDabinett, Yarlington Mill, Morgan Sweet, Stembridge Cluster, Browns, Kingston Black
What they make
- Dry Cider dry, still
- Bittersweet traditional blend
- Dabinett single variety
- Steve's Special sweet
- Stone's Half 'n' Half blend of sweet and dry
- Ram of Shepton dry
Visiting
Tastings: Yes. No shop or cellar door; sold at Shepton Mallet Friday Market most weeks and at Eat Festivals events, where tastings are offered.
Where to buy
- The George Inn, Croscombe Stockist
- The Travellers Rest, East Pennard Stockist
- The Sheppey, Lower Godney Stockist
- The Swan Inn, Shepton Mallet Stockist
Also sold at Shepton Mallet Friday Market and Eat Festivals events; no online shop.