Cidermaking-a noble art

One of Julian Temperly's offciders fills our barrel on the way to Butlins

Julian Tmperley, of Burrow Hill Cider fame has been granted the freedom of The City of London. Which apparently gives him the right to drive sheep over London Bridge.

Julian's the guy who brings the much-loved Cider Bus to Glastonbury festival every year.

He has been selling his fantastic scrumpy at Avalon since the first festival in 1971.

I've been to his cidery on at least three occasions, the last being our infamous trip to the All Tommorrow's Parties festival at Butlins in Minehead. We filled a home brew barrel with Burrow Hill Scrumpy (at a pound a litre or so!) and proceeded to drink it all over three days. A shedload cheaper, and a load more refreshing (and alcoholic!) than the slop lager they were flogging for four quid a pint! We were quite creative in our methods of smuggling past the door goons.

Anyhow, congratulations to Julian on his award. May the Burrow Hill flow for many years to come.

Coincidentally, I'm collecting 250 litres of apple juice from the Huon Valley this afternoon for the very same purpose; that of making loads of scrumpy. Watch out for my flock coming over the brow of the Tasman Bridge! Though I don't think cidermaking is a guaranteed direct path to freedom (of the city).

Asparagus season!

Last week, bunches of Spanish Asparagus were about three quid a pound. Yesterday, wandering through Berwick Street market, the first of the English spears have appeared for a pound a pound. the English aspaaragus season is only about a month long, usually through mid may to mid June. this year, owing to the new warmer clime that the UK seems to be basking in, they're a couple of weeks early. Anyhow, I love 'em, all joking about stinky secretions aside. Bought two pounds of the buggers last night. I was going to do a standard steam-butter-parmesan kind of thing, but when I got home I realised there was a couple of litres of scrumpy going begging from last weekend. Put the words "cider" and "asparagus" into Google, and what came up was "Asparagus in cider sauce". While I do wholly endorse the basics when cooking the green, I was quite happy that I could incorporate Burrow Hill's finest into my cooking somehow. Still, that's my novelty asparagus dish outta the way for 2007. Although, risotto......