Summer means cider: Thatcher's Gold at Atlas

Thatchers Gold

During last Winter our General Manager, Amy, headed to the Northern Hemisphere for some summer sunshine. Whilst roaming around in the West of England she had the rather enviable task of sampling many of the fine ciders that Somerset had to offer. 

Inspired by Amy's cider tour of the Westcountry we now have Thatcher's Gold on the lines for the summer. If you haven't had the chance to try it yet it's more of a medium cider - as opposed to the delicious and dry Zeffer, which we still have on the lines. The Thatcher's gold has a smooth, appley flavour and a bright sparkle to the mouth feel.

Traditional food matches for cider are often pork-based. Pork belly goes particularly well with cider and coincidentally we have a pork belly main and also a pork belly tapas on the Atlas evening menu. 

Thatchers Gold Cider | 4.8% | $10 pint

Amy abroad: Sea, surf and cider in Cornwall

Britain, I’m learning, is a country full of history, beauty and good beer. Around every corner I find historic architecture, colourful gardens, picturesque countryside and pubs full of locals drinking tasty ales. What I did not expect to find is that some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and coves are also located here. Driving south west brings you to the county of Cornwall. With 300 miles of diverse coastline the Cornish people have the right to brag! Rich and I, along with some friends, decided to go camping for 8 days to explore and appreciate everything this gorgeous county has to offer. As I was heading to the South West again I had an inkling that some more cider tasting was going to be in on the cards…

Similar to the Alps, although not quite as hilly, the roads are extremely windy and narrow; sometimes we had to pull into a bush to let oncoming traffic get by! Cornwall was so much more than I ever imagined. We camped on 14 open acres of farmer’s field at the famous Bedruthan Steps with the Atlantic Ocean as our back drop. Day trips consisted of rock pools and cliff jumping at Treyarnon bay, crabbing and Cornish pasty eating in Padstow, surfing and sun tanning at Watergate Bay, and most importantly Rattler drinking during all daily activities.

Rattler, from Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm, was the first Cornish cider I was introduced to as it was on tap at the local pub and readily available at the bottle shop. Rattler is made from Cornish Rattler apples which are known for their cider making qualities. With three flavours to choose from I had my hands full for a few days. Rattler Original is crisp, cloudy and dry, whereas Rattler Pear sits somewhere between sweet and dry. Rattler Berry gives you the juicy bang every sweet cider should give. All three are thirst quenching and refreshing so I continued my daily cider purchase at the bottle shop.

Due to large amounts of rain, and badly designed tents, our team of 5 decided to move south and treat ourselves to a luxury caravan for the remaining 4 days. Our new base was a camp site in the small town of St Just and from here our daily explorations around the southern coastline continued. We ate fish and chips at Sennen Cove, walked around the old tin mines at Pendeen, strolled across the causeway at low tide to St Michael’s Mount and I scored some wicked surf at Gwenver Beach. We also ventured to Cornwall and England’s most westerly point, Land’s End, and wandered through caves at Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula. Amongst these epic daily activities I stumbled across the The Lizard Cider Barn.

This old white bungalow was a little hidden from the road; however as it was well sign posted I didn’t miss it. Inside was nicely renovated with shelves on every wall. There was a large selection of different traditional local cider, country wine, and Cornish-made liqueurs. You also couldn’t miss the exceptional local art and produce surrounding you, ranging from paintings and fused glass to chutneys and fudge. A small glass flagon reading Cornish Scrumpy caught my eye and it reminded me how parched I was.

Scrumpy is a type of cider found traditionally in the West Country. It’s thought that the name comes from an old West Country word, “scrimp”. This means a small or withered apple and it’s thought that it gave rise to the word “scrump” which means to steal fruit. Scrumpy tends to be cloudier in appearance and often still contains the pulp of the fruit. It is usually bit stronger than commercial ciders and can be dry or sweet in taste.

We enjoyed sampling the entire sweet to dry range of Jacks Ratt cider made in Lyme Bay. I should mention that whilst I was drinking it in a Cornish cider barn, this is actually Devonshire cider. Back on the Cornish cider I tried the flagon of traditional dry Cornish Scrumpy from Mounts Bay Cider Company 7%. This was a bit more rugged tasting and, as you would expect with scrumpy, not sparkling. Then similar in style to Rattler there was the award-winning Polgoon range of apple, pear, and berry ciders. Polgoon is a Penzance-based company who, as well as cider, produce Cornish wine that’s won a fair few accolades.

Noticing the difference between Somerset and Cornish Cider, I fancied you could almost taste the sea salt in cider made with apples from this area. I left the Lizard Cider Barn with my palate refreshed and my hands full and with 2.5 litres of cider on hand I had plenty to enjoy over my remaining days in Cornwall.

Exploring north to south in the rain and sunshine I found Cornwall to be a county that is full of beauty and rich with heritage. I would highly recommend a trip to the far south west to anyone that intends to travel the United Kingdom. It is completely worth it. Also don’t forget to sample all the tasty ciders this amazing area produces.

Kynance Cove

Lizard Cider Barn

Cider, cider, cider

Sipping on cider at Sennen

Amy Abroad: The British Motocross Champs and Sampling Some English Ales

I'm back in the UK now after a ton of fun in Europe. Upon my return I decided to ditch the downhill bike and start taking advantage of the motocross bike that is parked in our garage. This road legal 01 KX250 is pretty ancient and faded however it is far from washed up so I was keen to get it out and on the road. This decision turned out to be perfectly timed as it just so happened that a round of the British Motocross Championship was being held at Aylesbury, Wiltshire. I thought it would be the ideal place to get some tips and inspiration by watching the talented riders do their thing.

A bit about the British Motocross Championship…This domestic 8 round series has grown to become one of the most prominent championships in the world, attracting international riders to battle for an overall win. Even Queenstown local and the dirt bike legend, Scotty Columb, rode in this Championship back in 2009. Motocross has been a competitive sport in the UK since March 29, 1924 where the first recorded competition was held in Surrey.

It wasn’t going to be just a day of MX though. Inspired, whilst I was in France, by my chat with Monsieur Mouthom at Le Fer Rouge I was keen to try some more English ales. So before heading to the MX track, I took the KX for a spin to purchase a couple of beers that some friends had recommended. I got to the off licence (that’s UK for bottle shop) bought my brews and headed back (needless to say no drinking and riding involved, folks!) ready to hit the tracks! What better way to enjoy a day than watching some quality riding and sipping on a few quality ales. Nice. Below are my tasting notes.

Wychwood Hobgoblin 5.2% abv

This beer had by far the most visually interesting bottle, displaying a mischievous looking goblin waving a guitar on the label. Made in Oxfordshire at the Wychwood brewery this ruby coloured ale has a moderate, bittersweet taste. The chocolate malt and Fuggles hops produce a delicious, full-bodied, creamy toffee taste which is well balanced by the distinctive, fruity flavours. I particularly like the current motto for Hobgoblin: "What's the matter Lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?”. Perfect for drinking on a rainy day whilst watching motocross.


Well & Young Bombardier 4.7% abv

Known as a premium bitter, this iconic English beer was included with history in the making. Brewed at Charles Wells Ltd, founded in 1876 by Charles Wells, all beers including Bombardier brewed here are made with water which comes directly from a well Charles himself tapped in 1906. A legacy that will never die! I describe this bitter amber like I would describe its label; perfectly balanced, full-bodied, rich and very English.


Black Sheep Brewery, Black Sheep Ale 4.4% abv

The darkest of ales I chose, this premium bitter is a traditional Yorkshire beer. Superior quality Maris Otter malted barley is said to deliver consistent good tasting beer. A high amount of Crystal malt gives Black Sheep Ale its rich flavour and darker colouring and a touch of wheat used in the mashing process gives that lovely creamy head. I am not surprised Black Sheep Ale is one of the best-selling bottled beers across the country.


Morland’s Old Speckled Hen 4.5% abv

Presented as a ‘Strong fine ale’ this was definitely my favourite among the four I tasted. Very easy to drink, refreshing smooth flavour, fruity bitterness balanced perfectly and complimented with toffee rich malts finishing with a dry touch. Perhaps a perfect guest beer for Atlas this coming summer!


A cloudy, windy, rainy afternoon did not interrupt the speed of the racers nor did it disturb my excitement to be there watching. I was astonished and amazed with the overall performance of everything, from the size of the massive jumps, to the rumble of the loud engines, to the agility and pace of the riders. The day was a great success except that I was so engrossed I only drank one of the beers and still had three of the four beers left at the end of the final race. Instead of consuming them in the rain I decided to bring them home and enjoy them with dinner.

Next week another road trip is in order so we'll be heading down to Cornwall to check out the coves, do some surfing and search for some delicious ciders.

Amy Abroad: French Craft Beer at La Fer Rouge

As an English speaking tourist in French speaking country my quest for some great French craft beer began with some dodgy vocabulary and grammar. “Bonjour, je suis looking por le tres bon French biere?”, which roughly translates to “Hello, I am looking for good French beer”. Luckily, most locals I conversed with spoke some English so once I’d made myself understood I was pointed in the same direction by every person I spoke to.|
Le Fer Rouge.

Le Fer Rouge is located in the town of La Chapelle d'Abondance about 7km down the road from Châtel. We decided to head there for some dinner and as we pulled up outside, first impressions did not disappoint. Le Fer Rouge is a beautiful, traditional Alpine brasserie and once I saw a large sign reading Biere Mason/Microbrewery and saw the mountain bikes parked outside  I realised I'd hit the jack pot!

The interior was rustic with old beer signs mounted on the walls and the lounge area was filled with mismatched antiqued furniture and wooden tables. Our French bartender explained the range of beers available on tap and proceeded to serve us sample half pints of each. Between rounds I bombarded her with questions about the bar. She had some answers but informed me Monsieur Mouthom would know more. She disappeared leaving me confused about her whereabouts and then, all of a sudden, a man in a white coat was tapping me on my shoulder. He introduced himself as Benoit Mouthom, the owner, brewer and chef of Le Fer Rouge. What with my aforementioned bad French there was a bit of a language barrier, however Monsieur Mouthom could speak some English and asked me to slow down my sentences. We proceeded to have a great chat and he was happy to answer my many questions.

Born and raised in La Chapelle d'Abondance, Benoit Mouthom travelled to England many times as a young adult and developed a taste for English ales. The diversity of beers inspired him and made him think of brewing his own back home in France. Turning this dream into reality proved to be extremely difficult as there were no suppliers in France for the correct machinery, hops or malts. It was also quite difficult for him to convince the banks that he was serious about becoming a brewer and that it wasn’t a joke! In spite of these setbacks in 1994 Benoit purchased Le Fer Rouge and set about building his microbrewery business. 

By 1998 his product had been perfected and he was ready launch it. Le Fer Rouge, which means The Red Iron, was the first microbrewery in The Alps and the 35th brewery to open in France. At first, as well as bar sales, Monsieur Mouthom sold his beer to local grocery stores. Over the years demands grew so high and as the brewery itself is so small he decided to only brew for the bar and focus on Le Fer Rouge business alone. Monsieur Mouthom buys all his malts from England, but his hops and yeast come worldwide from countries such as USA, Australia and Europe. I thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap at Le Fer Rouge and below are my tasting notes for the five beers that are brewed on site.


Ale Très Pale “La Gourgandine” 3.8%

Has a high fermentation and is influenced by North American styles, hoppy and floral.


Blanche “La Potion Magique” 3.8%

This spicy wheat beer has strong hints of a smoky sweetness. It has an aromatic, citrus nose and a fruity vanilla-banana mouth.


Bitter ou Real Ale “La Frasses” 3.8%

Expect to be hit with a hoppy, bitter ale, giving way to chocolate-caramel flavours and an interesting hint of liquorice at the end.


Stout “La Forgeronne” 3.8%

La Forgeronne or "The Blacksmith" is dark, creamy and smoky. This roasted stout was definitely my beer of choice!


Blonde au Chanvre “Flower Power” 3.8%

This blond beer is infused with hemp and was also one of my favourites.


After a lovely evening of chatting with Benoit Mouthom, drinking his tasty beer and eating his delicious food it was time to part ways. I shook his hand, wished him well on future business and said au revoir. Talking to Monsieur Mouthom made me look forward to trying some more English Ales again. So when I return to England I’ll be ditching the mountain bike and will be off on my motorbike again to search for some more!

www.leferrouge.fr

Amy Abroad: Dans les Alpes!

Head six hours north from the French Riviera and you find yourself driving dizzily through the bendy roads of the French Alps. As the passenger in a right-hand drive vehicle, on the right-hand side of very narrow roads it feels strange to be so close to the centre line and yet not in control of the car. Traffic whizzes by so close it makes you reach for the safety handle but the mesmerising mountain scenery is a welcome distraction from the white knuckle ride!

Approximately 1,200 kilometres in length, the Alps stretch through eight European countries and are the most visited mountains in the world with 120 million visitors annually. With so much to explore we have narrowed down our adventures to one area and have rented a cosy apartment on the French-Swiss border in the alpine village of Châtel. Positioned at 1,200 meters above sea-level with a surrounding population of 1,500 this traditional French village is a bit quieter than the neighbouring town of Morzine and is the perfect base for mountain biking in the Portes du Soleil area.

Portes du Soleil is dubbed ‘The Gates of the Sun’ and is the largest sking and

mountain biking area in the world. It consists of twelve villages, fourteen valleys and 1036 square kilometres of terrain. The entire area is connected with 201 lift systems including cable cars, gondolas, chair lifts, and T-bars. In the Summer months this extensive lift system scales down to 20 bike

equipped lifts but still provides access to 800kms of MTB trails. Within these 14 valleys there are 5 bike park specific areas similar to the Skyline gondola. The largest of the bike parks is Pre La Joux in Châtel, with 21 DH trails, 8 north shore zones, 2 pump tracks and 1 massive freeride slopestyle area with jumps sizing up to big dream at Wynyard bike park!

During the 8 weeks we will spend in Châtel a few Atlas regulars will be sharing our small flat so we can get our bike on together! These include Dave Zee for the entire 8 weeks; Queenstown Bike Taxi owner Jono Head for 3 weeks; former Pinewood Lodge handy man Mikael Alftbergl for 23 days and Shotover Jet driver Andy Patchett for 8 days. Last week, we headed out for a day trip to Peisey-Nancroix for some mountain biking and a few beers with the staff of Trail Addiction. Dave Stamper; previous Vertigo bike mechanic; Chris Lebiecki, Around The Mountains tour guide, and Tim Ceci, owner of Vertigo, all spend their Queenstown winters overseas here in the Rhône-Alpes region working as mountain bike guides for this rapidly fast growing company. It was very kind of them to spend their day off showing us around some of the awesome local trails.

At the end of a MTB day a beer is always in order to celebrate the fun we've been having on our bikes. We finished off with a few rounds of Kronenbourg 1664 which is a 5.5% pale lager that’s smooth, light and refreshing after a busy day biking. I must also note that Kronenbourg 1664 is most widely promoted French beer. My next mission is to find, sample and blog about some smaller French craft beers that are kept under the radar by the locals.

Amy Abroad: Rosé Hunting in the Riviera

The French Riviera with its population of 2.08 million is known for its idyllic beaches and sense of the good life. The Riviera is part of the Cotes de Provence wine region which covers over 50,000 acres of land. It is the oldest area in France for wine production and the region is world renowned for its Rosé wine; with Rosé accounting for 88% of the region’s wine production. France as a country consumes the most Rosé wine in the world, representing 36% of total consumption!

Rich and I were lucky enough to spend a week in the Riviera and while basking in the sun and lounging beside the glistening sea, I got inspired to check out the local’s tipple of choice, Rosé. Here’s the story:

On day one we headed to the gorgeous, coastal town of Antibes. We pitched our tent by the sea and at the resort’s bar we purchased B&G Passeport Rosé. It was served on tap and poured into a 2 litre glass bottle. The wine was light pink in colour and taste-wise was an explosion of red berries and fragrant flowers. I learned that traditional winemaking techniques are still used at B&G and they take special care of the grapes after they are picked to avoid oxidation and to preserve the light pink colour.

The next day we drove inland to our rented house in Bargemon, our base for the next few days. Bargemon is an ancient village that dates back to the 9th century and during medieval times the village was fortified, with remainders of the walls and gateways still existing today.  We purchased a couple bottles of Château la Tour de l'Évêque Rosé to enjoy with dinner. This was a much richer and more full-bodied Rosé with concentrated flavours of raspberries and strawberries. It also had some minerality along with spicy, vanilla notes. Dinner that night was chicken carbonara and this Rosé matched it perfectly!

Feeling in the mood for a daytrip we headed to Saint-Tropez and were mesmerized by the super yachts. Here we purchased the local L'Opale de la Presqu'Ile de Saint-Tropez Rosé. Rich and I parked ourselves on a bench and watched the glamourous set get on and off these exquisite boats while we sipped away on this simple and joyful wine. I thought the citrus aromas would have worked well with some Mediterranean cuisine.

Throughout the week, we drank Domaine de l'Esparon Rosé beside the local pool, a Fiche Technique Chateau De Valbourges Rosé at a wedding and a Matin Chevron Villette Rosé sitting at the seaside, watching the sun set. All of these Rosés are from the vineyards of Côtes de Provence and were all very tasty. My favourite was the Fiche Technique Chateau De Valbourges Rosé so I decided to take a tour at their vineyard on the day we were leaving. However, the French tradition of closing all shops between 12pm and 2:30pm is also a practise observed in the wine world. When we arrived at the cave it was closed for another 2 hours. There was nothing else to do except hit the road and head to the Alps where the next adventure awaited.  It was disappointing not to get into the vineyard to do a tasting but my quest to sample plenty of Rosés of the Riviera was still a success!

Amy Abroad: Into Somerset for Cider

There is no greater satisfaction than a cold, refreshing cider in the sun!

Once upon a time in 1230AD, Jocelin Bishop of Bath was the first recorded man to press apples into cider for the Royal Charter. Ever since then the county of Somerset in the heart of England’s West Country has been synonymous with the production of cider. This rural area with its rolling hills is abundant with cider orchards with 10 different types of cider apples being farmed here. With over 25 cider farms in Somerset to choose from I had a busy day ahead of tasting and meeting the cider makers, so Rich and I hit the road.

Amy with Chris Hecks

First stop, Hecks Traditional Farmhouse Cider.  The shop was rustic, old and full of character with hundreds of awards and certificates mounted on the walls. I learned that the Hecks family have been pressing apples here at this location for the last 118 years, however the farm has been in the family since 1840. Chris Hecks is a sixth generation cider maker and was very pleased to give me a tour of the premises. Hecks produce over 20 single varieties of cider along with perry and various apple juices. They have three orchards of their own and also purchase apples from local growers to add to their cider varieties. A few weeks ago their Kingston Black cider won Reserved Supreme Champion at the Royal Bath and West Show and won British Farm House Champion at the CAMRA festival. I gave the The Kingston Black a whirl and it’s really delicious. It is copper coloured, bitter sweet and full flavoured. All in all a super tasty cider which could make for a great guest drink at Atlas next summer!

In the cider barn at Wilkins Cider

Through the fields and over the hills I was pointed in the direction of the CAMRA award-winning Wilkins Cider. This cider barn, in the middle of nowhere, is a much smaller operation; however don't let the size discourage you. With three varieties of cider; dry, sweet and medium (which is dry and sweet mixed together), you find yourself sipping on very clean, fresh half pint straight out of the oak vats! The barn is literally, just a barn. A few arm chairs are set up beside the old apple engine; old photos hang on the walls of Roger Wilkins and his grandfather; there’s an old table set up selling farm products like cheese and vegetables and of course the old wooden barrels containing sweet and dry cider. At Wilkins Farmhouse you come in, say hello then continuously serve yourself letting time pass as long as your heart desires. I could’ve stayed here all day, it was simply blissful!

Cider barrels at Thatchers

My final stop of the day was Thatchers, the most commercial of the three cideries I visited but still with a proud heritage. Four generations the Thatchers family have worked in the orchards here and Thatchers have become one of the most well-known craft cider makers in all of England. They distribute bottled and draft ciders to the Wadsworth pubs and also to watering holes across the country. They have hundreds of acres of orchards which are the family's pride and joy. There is also a popular cycling path called Strawberry Lane which runs through several of their orchards with many people making a day of a trip to the farm. My favourite from the ciders I sampled was the Cheddar Valley which is a naturally cloudy cider that is matured in oak vats, giving it a strong and robust flavour.

After a day of journeying deep into the cider farms of Somerset, I found myself quite tipsy and returning to Wiltshire with a boot full of cider! We purchased a gallon of  Hecks sweet cider, a gallon of medium cider from Wilkins and a gallon of Cheddar Valley cider from Thatchers. Next stop will be Europe so I’ve got French wine and devouring mouth-watering cheese to look forward to! 

Special thanks also to Richard for being designated driver on my Somerset cider tour.

Amy Abroad: Cruising the Kennet and Avon Canal

When you can’t go biking, you go barging, and cider drinking of course!

The British canal system is a nationwide network which connects almost the entire country by waterways. Since the Roman times, canals have been used for transporting coal, building materials and many different goods. Nowadays they are used by avid excursionists, off for a spot of recreational travel or as homes on water. These decked out holiday homes are called "narrow boats".  Anyone can hire them as no special boating licence is required! Rich and I were lucky enough to jump aboard his Aunt and Uncle’s 50ft "Phoebe Jones" and motor off for the day.

Please note the average speed of a narrow boat is approximately 2.5 to 3 miles per hour, we weren't getting far quickly! Even the people walking along side of the canals on the towpath were travelling faster than us!  The towpaths were once used by horses to pull the barges along before they had engines. Today they are now very popular with cyclists or locals strolling to one of the 70+ pubs that line the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal. We, of course, were heading to the pub however we had a full day’s work ahead of us before stopping.

Cider time

The 29 Devizes locks of the Kennet and Avon Canal are known for being one of the longest flights of locks in the World. "Locks" are devices built into the canal to raise and lower boats between two stretches of waterway. Caen Hill of Devizes has 16 consecutive locks which form a steep flight up the hillside. Over the course of a long day we opened and closed the 29 locks of Devizes, travelled 2 miles in distance and had risen 72 metres from our original starting point.  A pint of cider was nearly in our sights and we had definitely earned it!

Hello Dave Zee!

We arrived at the Barge Inn at Seend and moored up the narrow boat. Here we bumped into one of our favourite Atlas locals, Dave Zee, as Seend is his hometown! With Thatchers Gold cider on tap we all couldn’t resist. This traditional English cider, perfect for any occasion, is smooth and fruity fresh with the sparkling taste of crisp apples. There was a massive steak burger on special so we indulged in an evening of delicious drinks and food. Being a Wadworth pub I had to sample a couple of tasty Horizons too!

Thatchers is one of many cider farms located in the Somerset area. Next week I will head across to the border into Somerset for a cider tour. I’ll be visiting a few farms to find out what makes all these ciders so unique and tasty!