462: Cider in a Cathedral of Opulence | The Newt, UK

A Digital Media Empire Embraces Cider at The Newt

The Newt in Somerset is a world-class estate blending cider-making, luxury hospitality, and horticultural excellence. The estate is owned by South African owners Karen Roos and her husband Koos Bekker, who is a South African tech entrepreneur known for his innovative ventures, including transforming media group Naspers. Bekker's vision extends beyond digital media into luxury hospitality and agriculture, mirroring his approach at Babylonstoren in South Africa, The Newt's sister property.

A Cathedral to Cider at this Luxe Estate

The Newt's cider operation began in 2018, a year before the estate's gardens and hotel opened. Designed with a focus on creativity and the visitor experience, the cidery features state-of-the-art equipment, including Voran presses, hypoxic apple storage, and multiple fermentation tanks. The cider is predominantly crafted for guests visiting the estate, which receives up to 200,000 visitors a year.

Charlie Inns: The Cider Maker's Story

Charlie Inns, the cider maker, brings a deep passion for microbiology and biochemistry to the operation. His journey began with home brewing in his youth, later gaining professional experience at Lilly's Cider. At The Newt, Charlie focuses on crafting ciders using estate-grown apples from 65 varieties, many of them heirloom. The orchards, covering approximately 70 acres, are planted with traditional, full-size trees spaced widely to minimize disease spread and reduce the need for chemical treatments.

State of the Art Cider Production

The cider-making process includes a variety of yeasts, including wine strains, and a mix of stainless steel and oak barrel fermentations. Techniques such as gravity-fed racking, malolactic fermentation, and freeze concentration for ice cider production are part of the cellar's repertoire. Some ciders are back-sweetened with apple juice or ice cider concentrate, and a cider club offers members access to exclusive batches and virtual tastings.

Watch a behind the scenes from The Newt

Operations and Sales Support

Luke Benson, who joined The Newt more recently, supports Charlie with operations and sales, ensuring the cidery runs efficiently and allows the cider maker to focus on quality and creativity. Luke's background includes home cider-making and beer brewing.

Ciders Tasted at The Newt

• Fine Cider: A Braeburn single varietal fermented with Pinot Grigio yeast, crafted to appeal to wine enthusiasts.
• Kingston Black: A single-varietal expression using this traditional bittersweet apple, known for its crisp acidity. The cider featured champagne yeast and was back-sweetened with ice cider and fresh juice for a balanced finish.
• Red Love and Vilberie Blend: A complex cider combining the tart Red Love apple from Kent with the tannic Vilberie, resulting in a deeply colored, aromatic cider.
• The Winston: A méthode champenoise-style cider made from Katy apples, aged for several years, named after Winston Churchill and bottled in pint-sized bottles.

• Hopped Braeburn: A single-varietal Braeburn cider infused with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, offering a delicate, aromatic profile with a hint of residual sweetness from the apple.
• Signature Blend: A flagship cider blending over 30 apple varieties from the estate, fermented in both stainless steel and oak, with a focus on capturing the essence of The Newt's orchard.

Contact Info for The Newt

• Website: www.thenewtinsomerset.com

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