475: At the UK's National Perry Pear Centre and the Story Behind 99PINES

475: At the UK's National Perry Pear Centre and the Story Behind 99PINES

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist October 29, 2025 Duration: 43:52
Cider Chat
ArtsCultureFoodPlacesSocietySociety & CultureTravel

Perry making has deep roots in Gloucestershire, stretching back to the 17th century when French wine imports were cut off during the Napoleonic Wars. Local farmers turned to their own fruit, and the rich soils around Hartpury proved ideal for growing Perry pears.

This episode features audio snapshots from the 2025 Totally Cider Tour stop at the National Perry Pear Centre. Our guide, Phil Kester, volunteers with 99PINES , where he helps preserve the region's rare Perry pear varieties. Phil's passion for Perry and deep local knowledge made this visit one of the tour's highlights.

cider Chat Episode 475 feature of National Perry Pear Centre sign

The Roots of the National Perry Pear Centre

  • Charles Martell recognized that Perry orchards across Gloucestershire were disappearing and began documenting rare varieties.
  • His work led to the first National Perry Collection at the Malvern Three Counties Showground, planted with Tom Oliver and others.
  • Jim Chapman later expanded the effort by gifting land at Hartpury. This site is The National Perry Pear Centre and is home to over 100 Perry pear varieties from Gloucestershire and beyond.
  • These orchards safeguard living history, connecting generations through the craft of Perry making.

The 99PINES Project

The name 99PINES comes from the line of pines atop nearby May Hill, often called the heart of English Perry country.

Cider Chat episode 475 Phil Kester of 99PINES
Phil Kester of 99PINESS

Phil and the volunteers at 99PINES are working to:

  • Create a local hub to promote Perry culture in pubs and communities.
  • Build a tasting space featuring 80–100 Perry varieties for education and enjoyment.
  • Keep the project sustainable by reinvesting proceeds into orchard care and heritage initiatives.

The Art and Challenge of Perry Making

Perry is both art and patience.

  • The fruit can rot within days, demanding precise timing at harvest.
  • Perry ferments differently from cider and is more sensitive to bacteria.
  • Varieties like Blakeney Red and Hartpury Green reveal a range of tannins and textures unique to Perry.
  • Phil experiments with bottle conditioning and Pet Nat methods, showing how diverse and expressive Perry can be.

Contact info for National Perry Pear Centre and 99PINES

Mentions in this Cider Chat


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubetiktokspotifypatreon
Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
How Cider Is Made | Lessons from 500 Episodes of Cider Chat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:31
In this milestone Episode 500, we return to a simple question that has come up again and again over the past ten seasons of Cider Chat: How is cider made? After hundreds of conversations with cider makers, orchardists, h…
499: The Omnia Era of Cider | Pommes in Art Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
Episode 499 of Cider Chat looks at the "Omnia Era of Cider" - a time when everything is happening at once in modern cider, from traditional methods to new styles and experimentation. Using art history and the Pommes in A…
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…

12345...10»