At Orchard, Hive & Vine, we have some of the finest traditional Ciders and Perries available, hand-crafted on the farm. Craft cider-making in Herefordshire goes from strength to strength, with new makers appearing on the scene.

Cider is made from apples; perry is made from pears. We do not sell pear cider. Why should we bother with a second rate commercial product when the real stuff is so good? It can be dry, medium or sweet, still or sparkling.

Most of our makers do perry as well as cider. As perry is made in smaller quantities than cider, it sells out quicker.

We now concentrate on beers made within the Marches region. Most of our beers are bottle conditioned ("bc") with live yeast in the bottle, and need to be rested well before drinking. Pour carefully leaving the yeast sediment behind.

English wines are seriously under-rated by most wine-writers, supermarkets, etc. If you like wines to be light with a really nice fruity flavour, then I urge you to give them a try. They will never have the weight of an Australian wine, but English and Welsh vineyards grow grapes suitable for our climate, and there is a high level of skill and growing experience in how to get the best from them. The UK can boast some of the best cool climate wine in the world and that is true of reds, whites and especially of sparkling wines.

Single Bottle Gift Packs

We can despatch a single bottle of any of our sparkling wines or bottle-fermented ciders in a safe white moulded polystyrene block surrounded by a stout cardboard sleeve. If sent as a gift it will be accompanied by an attractive Wild Flower of Herefordshire card with your greetings. Add £6 on to single bottle price. Give us a call with your message.

A traditional drink whose origins go back to the Stone Age. It is made by the fermentation of honey. At Meads of Mercia, his other business, Geoff has used traditional recipes, the finest English honey, and modern wine-making techniques have been used to make distinctive products.

As some customers prefer sweet mead, Geoff has been tasting the opposition and the Lurgashall, from Sussex, is the best he has found.

These superb juices mostly come from Herefordshire and Worcestershire orchards. Our two main suppliers are Teme Valley Fruit near Tenbury Wells and Jus at Aylton, in the depths of the Herefordshire countryside. Some rarer juices are the fruit of a single tree.

The apples are stored for a short time until fully ripe, then pressed. A small amount of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is added to prevent the juice turning brown The juice is then racked, bottled and pasteurised. The result is an amazing drink which fully captures the wonderful flavour and aroma of your favourite English apples

During the season about thirty different varieties will be pressed. It will not be possible to supply all the juices all the time, as the availability list is continually changing. Refrigerate after opening and drink within three or four days. Offer instead of wine for any drivers you are entertaining.

Geoff is a partner in Yamas Wines, a business importing Greek wines spirits and liqueurs.

Go to http://www.yamaswines.co.uk/ for latest details of what we have available.