462: Cider in a Cathedral of Opulence | The Newt, UK
Cider Chat
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 in South Africa, The Newt’s sister property. Ciders tasted at The Newt in Somerset A Cathedral to...
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461 RAW Levi Danielson
Cider Chat
Levi Danielson is the founder and cider maker at RAW Cider, based in Dayton, Oregon. With roots in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and a cidery nestled among cider apples and pears in the Willamette Valley, Levi’s story is one of wild ferments, place-based cider, and planting for the future – both in Oregon and back home. Levi Danielson Building RAW Cider Levi’s path began in microbiology and health policy before a leap to France introduced him to wild fermentation and orchard life. After interning and later leading production at Dragon’s Head Cider in...
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460: James B. Forbes on Little Pomona’s Ciders & Legacy
Cider Chat
An intimate sit down with James Forbes of Little Pomona to talk about grief of losing his wife and business partner Susanna Forbes, the growth of the cidery, and the evolving identity of one this select cidery. Remembering Susanna Forbes Susanna Forbes, co-founder of Little Pomona, passed away in 2024. Her warmth, encouragement, and belief in others shaped the cidery from day one. As James puts it, “She was always trying to build up and support others – including me.” James, Ria and Susanna 2019 What’s New at Little Pomona Champagne Method Quince Wine – Possibly the...
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459: The Apple Finch’s Pet-Nats at de Groote Wei Cider | Netherlands
Cider Chat
Fourth-Generation Farmer, First-Generation Cidermaker Sophie Horstink of De Groote Wei, which means The Great Meadow in Dutch, is crafting Dutch cider as a value added project at her family’s farm. Located in the eastern Netherlands near Arnhem, the farm spans 16 hectares and has long produced dessert apples and pears. Sophie Horstink The Horstink family market is well-known and is a go-to place for locals to shop and would be considered a grocery store. She released her first cider in 2022. The early response was enthusiastic, selling out quickly and prompting her to scale...
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458: Sodo Sidriné and the Rise of Lithuanian Craft Cider
Cider Chat
Donatas Genys didn’t set out to launch Lithuania’s first keeved cider. But after trips to England and Normandy, years of experimentation, and the planting of over 6,000 cider apple trees, that’s exactly what he’s doing. At Sodo Sidriné, located just a few kilometers from the city of Kaunus, Donatas is into a whole new era for cider Lithuania’s cider revival Donatas Genys Cider Culture and Baltic Roots Lithuania has deep agricultural roots, but apple trees which at many of the homes are desired more for eating or making apple wine while vodka and beer under Soviet rule...
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457: Snow Capped Cider: A Family Legacy at 7,000 Feet | CO
Cider Chat
At the base of Colorado’s Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain, five generations of fruit growers have worked the land. Today, Snow Capped Cider carries on that legacy, crafting estate-grown ciders from fruit nurtured at elevations between 6,130 and 7,000 feet. The high desert sun, volcanic soil, and pure snowmelt water combine to create vibrant apples and distinctive ciders. From Hobby to Heritage What began as a small experiment soon blossomed into a full-fledged cidery. Sparked by a disappointing store-bought cider, Kari Williams and her family leaned into their winemaking...
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456: From Oregon to Norway: Abram Goldman-Armstrong’s Cider Journey
Cider Chat
This episode of Cider Chat, was recorded in person with Abram Goldman-Armstrong at CiderCon2025 in Chicago. Hear his journey to cider. From growing up in Oregon’s Yamhill County to his current work in Norway’s Hardanger region at Alde Sider. Abram began fermenting cider as a student in Minnesota and went on to found the cidery known as Cider Riot in Portland, Oregon. His experience reflects both the evolution of the cider industry and the challenges of building a business grounded in values and community. The Cider Riot Years Cider Riot grew from a home cider making project into a...
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455: Zero Percent Sh*t | John Edwards Returns
Cider Chat
John Edwards, longtime cider maker and integral team member at Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Co., and the creative force behind his personal label Fly be Night Cider was last on the podcast in 2019. John Edwards In this Cider Chat with John Edwards ohn is part of the tight-knit crew at Ross Cider who keep things running from orchard to bottle. The team has embraced a belt press system, which John finds surprisingly nimble—even for small batches. While Ross is rooted in tradition, they’re also evolving their process to match the scale and diversity of their...
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454: Wild Ferment Meets Fine Cider: Inside Oliver’s Barrel Room
Cider Chat
Rainy Days Goes Best with Dry Cider in the Barrel Room Walking into the barrel room at Oliver’s Cider and Perry Company, you might think you know what to expect. But surrounded by whitewashed stone walls, standing beneath the old Hessian sacking floor, and facing rows of aging barrels, I quickly realized this wasn’t just a cidery—it’s a living, breathing creative space for cider making. Tom Oliver sources fruit both from his farm and from local orchards across Herefordshire. This isn’t an estate cidery where everything is grown on-site—but what sets Oliver’s cider and perry...
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453: Homage to Perry Legends by Tom Oliver at AppleFest | UK
Cider Chat
Celebrating Perry’s Past, Present, and Future Tom Oliver began his keynote by saying, "At this year’s Applefest Banquet, I had the honor of lifting a glass to the people behind the pear—specifically Perry. It wasn’t just a toast to the drink itself, but to the incredible commitment behind its preservation and craft." Tom Oliver Three Perry Legends Charles Martel Known for his Stinking Bishop cheese and peri-based products. Catalogued disappearing peri pear varieties, creating the first national collection at the Three Counties Showground. His book on Gloucestershire...
info_outlineA 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
Mentions in this Cider Chat
- Totally Cider Tours_UK Edition 2025
- Ethic Ciders | California Summer Solstice BBQ Saturday, June 21 · 12 – 5pm PDT. tickets
- @nordappelcider is sending an open letter to the German EU delegates, advocating for transparent labelling. This new comes in via 1785 Cider who was featured on
- Moscow’s Rebel Apple wins International Cider Maker of the Year at GLINTCAP Listen to Episode 216: Alex Ionov | Rebel Apple, Moscow
- Watch this video sung by Alexander Ionov. In this song the young man is addressing a girl with St Valentines letter explaining how much he dreams about her
- The main phrase of the song is «I need you more than a ton of cider» (or to be precise in translation «You are more important for me than a ton of cider»).
- Watch this video sung by Alexander Ionov. In this song the young man is addressing a girl with St Valentines letter explaining how much he dreams about her