469: Getting Lost, So You Don't | UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 Recap

UK Cider Tour 2025 Audio Snap Shots Wallace and Ria in Bristol

In this Episode 469 of Cider Chat, we brings listeners inside the UK Totally Cider Tour 2025 through the voices of the guests who joined. From Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, to Wales guests on this tour discovered not just cider and perry, but also community, history, and inspiration.

First Impressions and Highlights

• Many guests shared that they signed up to experience places they couldn't access on their own.
  • From the scale of Showering's Cider Mill, the second largest in the country to the intimate welcome at Oliver's, the contrast certainly left a deep impression.
• The discovery of Perry was a recurring theme. From Ohio travelers Chris and Megan who tasted their very first Perry on the tour, while Rodney from Virginia declared he'd be grafting Perry scions at home.

Personal Connections Group Selfie with Sam Leach of Wilding Cider

• For repeat travelers like Debbie and Bryce from California, the tour reaffirmed how relationships with makers enrich the experience: "
  • They treat us like friends, not tourists."
• Ancha from Hungary spoke of the joy of hiking the Malvern Hills in the rain and celebrating with fellow cider lovers.
• Rachel and Mary of Kanga Cider in Texas noted the value of orchard insights for their own plantings back home, while Thomas from Australia praised the tour for covering the full spectrum of producers—from industrial to artisanal.

Learning and Inspiration

Guests emphasized that tasting ciders in their native terroir cannot be replaced by books or certifications. Dan from Spacetime Mead and Cider Works in Dunmore Pennsylvania highlighted how only by being in Herefordshire or Somerset can one grasp the range of English cider styles.

Susan and Tom of Heeman's Cellars in Ontario pointed out how the pacing of the tour allowed real reflection—something missing from busier farm tours.

The Takeaway

Whether first-timers or repeat guests, everyone agreed: the Totally Cider Tour offers access, education, and camaraderie that can't be replicated alone.

As David of Oregon said it best, "It wasn't really about the cider—it was about the people."

Contact info for Totally Cider Tours

• Website page: https://ciderchat.com/totally-cider-tours/
  For details on upcoming cider journeys and to join the waitlist, send an email to info@ciderchat.com and write in the heading
  • Totally Cider Tours.
  • Let us know how many are in your party
  • Destinations you would like to visit

Mentions in this Cider Chat Episode 469

• 425: Babycham to Triple Vintage – The Showering's Cider Legacy
• 450th Roger Wilkins – The Cider King
• 444: Worleys and Honey's: Somerset's Cider Makers
• 441: Wilding Cider and the Rural Method | Somerset, UK
• 454: Wild Ferment Meets Fine Cider: Inside Oliver's Barrel Room
• 460: James Forbes on Little Pomona's Ciders & Legacy
• 432: Ancha Gergely's Abaliget Garden Projects | Hungarian Cider Maker