About Company

Tricky Cider make use of the many old and varied orchards that exist across the Somerset levels. They source a wide variety of fruit, picking some of the best quality and most sought after cider apples around.

We pick the finest quality bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples from across the Somerset levels which are traditionally fermented high on the Blackdown hills to produce a range of single variety and blended farmhouse ciders. We help orchard owners maintain their trees, promote local produce and work with local suppliers.

THE TRICKY CIDER STORY

Tricky Cider is run by Matt Gillett, a life long lover of cider and Somerset. Matt grew up in nearby Taunton and after 10 years working as an automotive engineer in Essex, he decided to change direction and move back to his home county.

His passion for fermenting started in the mid 2000’s with ‘Genghis Ales’ his home brew label, and small batch cider making using fruit from neighbours’ trees. This background led to a micro-brewery installation project with friend Freddie Farnworth in the back garden of the Holman Clavel pub on the Blackdown hills, at that time owned by Tricky founder Steve Watkins. The pair purchased Tricky from Steve in 2018 and Matt is now the sole owner of the business.

Operating out of Higher Willand Farm on the Blackdowns, his aim is to produce and promote high quality traditional farmhouse cider and work to regenerate forgotten orchards. Matt is proud to be part of the tradition of Somerset cider making and the exciting revival of this fabulous natural drink.

The key to his approach lies in the heart of the Somerset levels, an area still home to a goldmine of traditional cider apples:

“Sourcing apples from these orchards and helping maintain them is central to our cider making. Every drop of Tricky Cider is produced from fruit we pick and press ourselves. I’m able to taste the apples before they’re pressed to build a picture of how they can be blended or kept as single varieties. Each basket of fruit is sorted by hand to give a cleaner pick. This approach means that every cider has a unique story, created from the lifecycle of each orchard through Winter pruning, Spring pollination, Summer grazing and Autumn harvest.

An advantage of using other peoples’ orchards is that we have access to a diverse range of fruit. As most apple trees are bi-annual, the varieties available in any given year may change. This means our ciders vary from year to year and new single variety and blended ciders are always being found. Our ciders do not conform to a script, the most important thing is to work with nature, make from what is available and ensure the quality is as high as possible.”

 

Tricky Cider 2004 – 2018

Tricky Cider was founded in 2004 by Steve Watkins and Alistair Brice. With a lifetime of hobby cider making behind them, the pair started Tricky to preserve the art of traditional cider, refining the authentic taste over several years with a perfect blend of local cider apples. Tricky takes its name from nearby Trickey Warren; a flat open area with a reputation as a hard place to shoot rabbits! In 1941 Trickey Warren became home to RAF Culmhead, the first of 3 airfields constructed on the Blackdown Hills to provide air support for Exeter and Bristol and shelter for aircraft from bombing raids. Tricky is aptly named as anyone lost in the back lanes of the Blackdown hills will concur! To find us we recommend typing ‘Tricky Cider’ into Google maps or using what 3 words: most.impulsive.lime.

Thanks to Steve and Al the Tricky name flourished, and today we are taking the business forward on the next stage of its journey.

Natural ingredients

At Tricky we believe that real craft cider is not getting the recognition it deserves. Our cider is made only made from real cider apples we pick ourselves, never using concentrate and without additives or acids. We open ferment our cider using natural airborne yeasts and backsweeten medium ciders with cane sugar, never artificial sweeteners. All our fruit ciders are made with our own homemade cordials including elderflower from the farm, and rhubarb from our generous rhubarb donors!

 

Support Local, reduce waste

We want to support local businesses and charities, wherever possible we use local suppliers.

While it is not currently possible to eliminate all plastic from our packaging, (bag in box especially), we aim to reduce the use of plastic wherever possible with alternatives such as PLA and cardboard.

At Tricky we like to have fun, work to sustain the natural environment and bring high quality traditional cider to as many people as possible.

Ciders

A light low tannin cider mixed steeped with rhubarb for 24hrs and just the right sweetness, always delicious.

A bittersweet light cider mixed with our own rhubarb cordial grown by our neighbours! Balanced apple and rhubarb goodness, moreish and delicious.

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
A light low tannin cider mixed steeped with rhubarb, just the right sweetness
4.0% abv.
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Tricky Rhubarb Cider (500ml Bottles)

A bittersweet light cider mixed with our own rhubarb cordial grown by our neighbours!

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A light low tannin cider mixed with our own elderflower cordial gives a zingy and refreshing flavour to this easy drinking cider.

A sweet light low tannin cider mixed with our own elderflower cordial picked from the farm. A fresh, floral and zesty cider which is a perfect accompaniment to a hot summers day.

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
A fresh, floral and zesty cider which is a perfect accompaniment to a hot summers day
4.0% abv.
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Tricky Elderflower cider (500ml Bottle)

A zingy and refreshing easy drinking cider

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Crimson King is a single variety dry cider named after the bittersharp apple of the same name. Light coloured, sharp and strong with a complex floral and fruity aftertaste. Back again this year from the 2020 crop of a cluster of 10 trees on the slopes of Pennard hill, only a few fields away from Glastonbury festival site.

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
sharp and strong with a complex floral and fruity aftertaste
Light coloured
4.0% abv.
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Tricky Crimson King craft still cider (500ml Bottle)

A single variety dry cider named after the bittersharp apple of the same name

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Tricky Wizard is a blend of 3 classic cider apples, Dabinnet, Yarlington Mills and Michelin sourced from Somerset orchards. A well balanced and full bodied classic farmhouse cider with mid tannin and medium sweetness.

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
A blend of 3 classic cider apples, Dabinnet, Yarlington Mills and Michelin sourced from Somerset orchards
5.5% abv.
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FOLLOW Tricky Wizard craft still cider (500ml Bottles) ON

Tricky Wizard craft still cider (500ml Bottles)

A well balanced and full bodied classic farmhouse cider with mid tannin and medium sweetness.

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A pack of 3 x 1L bottles of Dabinett oak aged vintage cider

This single variety 2019 vintage cider has been aged in an 80 year old Oak barrel for 12 months producing a rich, smooth and tannic cider with notes of orange and rosemary.

AVAILABLE IN
1 LITRE BOTTLES
notes of orange and rosemary
Click 'PLAY VIDEO' to watch the video review for this cider!
6.8% abv.
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Tricky Dabinett oak aged vintage cider (3x 1Litre)

A 2019 Vintage, aged in an 80 year old Oak barrel for 12 months

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U.F.O. stands for Unidentified Forgotten Orchard.

This cider is made using apples collected from small and privately owned orchards across the Somerset levels. Often the trees are hard to identify and the fruit unknown, blended together it produces a rich full bodied cider which may vary from batch to batch. Our guarantee is that wherever it comes from it will be a great tasting traditional still farmhouse cider!

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
Light, fruity, slightly tangy with a dry finish
6.0% abv.
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FOLLOW Tricky U.F.O medium sparkling somerset cider (500ml Bottles) ON

Tricky U.F.O medium sparkling somerset cider (500ml Bottles)

Made using apples collected from Unidentified Forgotten Orchards

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12 X 500ML BOTTLES MIXED CASE

4 x UFO #3 Sparkling medium

2 x Wizard

2 x Elderflower

2 x Rhubarb

1 x Yes

1 x Crimson King Dry

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
Light, fruity, slightly tangy with a dry finish
4.0% abv.
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Tricky mixed case of craft ciders (500ml Bottles)

We pick the finest quality bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples from across the Somerset levels

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12 X 500ML BOTTLES FRUIT AND FIZZ SELECTION

4 x U.F.O. #3 Sparkling medium

4 x Rhubarb

4 x Elderflower

AVAILABLE IN
500ml Bottles
Light, fruity, slightly tangy with a dry finish
4.0% abv.
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FOLLOW Tricky mixed case of Fruit and Fizz craft ciders (500ml Bottles) ON

Tricky mixed case of Fruit and Fizz craft ciders (500ml Bottles)

We pick the finest quality bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples from across the Somerset levels

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U.F.O. stands for Unidentified Forgotten Orchard, this cider is made using apples collected from small and privately owned orchards across the Somerset levels. Often the trees are hard to identify and the fruit unknown, blended together it produces a rich full bodied cider which may vary from batch to batch.

U.F.O. #3: Light, fruity, slightly tangy with a dry finish from the tannic Stembridge Jersey, available with dry or medium sweetness.

AVAILABLE IN
5, 10 or 20 Litre Bag-In-Box
Light, fruity, slightly tangy with a dry finish
6.0% abv.
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FOLLOW Tricky U.F.O craft still cider (BIB) ON

Tricky U.F.O craft still cider (BIB)

U.F.O. stands for Unidentified Forgotten Orchard

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Tricky Wizard is a blend of 3 classic cider apples, Dabinnet, Yarlington Mills and Michelin sourced from Somerset orchards. A well balanced and full bodied classic farmhouse cider with mid tannin and medium sweetness.

AVAILABLE IN
5, 10 or 20 Litre Bag-In-Box
A blend of 3 classic cider apples, Dabinnet, Yarlington Mills and Michelin sourced from Somerset orchards
4.0% abv.
Play Video
Buy Online
FOLLOW Tricky Wizard craft still cider (BIB) ON

Tricky Wizard craft still cider (BIB)

A well balanced and full bodied classic farmhouse cider with mid tannin and medium sweetness.

DISCOVER MORE
PREV
CLOSE
NEXT

Crimson King is a single variety dry cider named after the bittersharp apple of the same name. Light coloured, sharp and strong with a complex floral and fruity aftertaste. Back again this year from the 2020 crop of a cluster of 10 trees on the slopes of Pennard hill, only a few fields away from Glastonbury festival site.

AVAILABLE IN
5, 10 or 20 Litre Bag-In-Box
sharp and strong with a complex floral and fruity aftertaste
Light coloured
4.0% abv.
Play Video
Buy Online
FOLLOW Tricky Crimson King craft still cider (BIB) ON

Tricky Crimson King craft still cider (BIB)

A single variety dry cider named after the bittersharp apple of the same name

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A light low tannin cider mixed with our own elderflower cordial gives a zingy and refreshing flavour to this easy drinking cider.

A sweet light low tannin cider mixed with our own elderflower cordial picked from the farm. A fresh, floral and zesty cider which is a perfect accompaniment to a hot summers day.

AVAILABLE IN
5, 10 or 20 Litre Bag-In-Box
A fresh, floral and zesty cider which is a perfect accompaniment to a hot summers day
4.0% abv.
Play Video
Buy Online
FOLLOW Tricky Elderflower craft still cider (BIB) ON

Tricky Elderflower craft still cider (BIB)

A zingy and refreshing easy drinking cider

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A light low tannin cider mixed steeped with rhubarb for 24hrs and just the right sweetness, always delicious.

A bittersweet light cider mixed with our own rhubarb cordial grown by our neighbours! Balanced apple and rhubarb goodness, moreish and delicious.

AVAILABLE IN
5, 10 or 20 Litre Bag-In-Box
A light low tannin cider mixed steeped with rhubarb, just the right sweetness
4.0% abv.
Play Video
Buy Online
FOLLOW Tricky Rhubarb craft still cider (BIB) ON

Tricky Rhubarb craft still cider (BIB)

A bittersweet light cider mixed with our own rhubarb cordial grown by our neighbours!

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Cider Tours

VISITING TRICKY

If you would like to visit and have a look around, we offer short tours and cider tasting sessions are fully licensed to sell cider from the premises. Call Matt on 07840046363 to arrange a visit and to make sure he is there!

We are based in the large L-shaped stone building in the main farm yard past the farm house & caravan.

Please respect Covid-19 social distancing guidelines when visiting.

WE ACCEPT CARD PAYMENTS!

Events

Check out all the Tricky Cider events by clicking the link below:

https://www.trickycider.com/events

 

Awards

Store Location

Higher Willand Farm
Churchstanton
Taunton
Somerset
TA3 7RL