Nestled away in the village of Bradford-on-Tone, deep in the Somerset countryside, is this hidden gem - Sheppy's House of Cider and Fine Food.
Yes, its a break in my usual trend of Gin, Gin...and a little more Gin, but occasionally I do find time to enjoy the odd juniper-free beverage...
I actually stumbled upon this little gem completely by accident, it just so happened to be down the road from a cottage I rented for a three day getaway (via cottages.com). After passing it, a quick google informed me that their cider tours don't actually start until mid March, nevertheless we popped down there the next morning to check it out, and were blown away by the attentive staff, beautiful interior design and fantastic cider and produce for sale. Having had a nosey round the onsite shop and drooled over ciders, preserves, fresh meats and cheeses and pastries (to name but a few), we went for a stroll through the extensive orchards. I will say that February is perhaps not the best month for this as the trees are a little bare, however, we were assured by the staff that come late-march, the trees would blossom and were a stunning sight to behold... so perhaps book for around then. Heading back to the shop/restaurant/bar/cafe, we stopped to sample some of their iconic ciders - standout for me was the Vintage Reserve Cider (which retails at £2.20 a bottle) and is a 2017 vintage and stands at an impressive 7.4% Vol.
Having been so impressed with Sheppy's, we decided to book a table for dinner at their on-site restaurant - AppleBay - and came right back that very evening....yep, couldn't get enough of this joint.
True to form, Gins started the evening and Sheppy's have a great Gin list which gave even my fussy self a good selection to choose from. I actually got to try a Gin which was brand spanking new to me... Wrecking Coast Scurvy Gin (give this one a go if you haven't already!). Dinner was, for lack of a better word, exquisite. Head over to www.sheppyscider.com to have a sneaky peek at the menu and get those taste buds a'tingling. I highly recommend the mussels to start, and the guinea fowl for main.... I'm still salivating!
All in all I can't recommend this place highly enough. If you're a fan of cider, or indeed, good food....book a tour or a table now at www.sheppyscider.com.
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