Recipes

Ingredients for filling:

3 eating apples peeled and diced, 1 tablespoon of winter spiced Sheppy’s cider, 6 tablespoon raisins, 2 tablespoon dried mixed fruit, 3 teaspoons light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Ingredients for pastry:

150g plain flour, 75g butter cubed, 35g grated mature cheddar cheese (we suggest Wookey Hole cheddar), 1 teaspoon caster sugar, 1 egg.

Method for filling:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over the medium heat.  Stir well and heat until boils.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stir occasionally.

Icing sugar to dust to serve.

Method for pastry:

Using a food processor on low, add the flour, chopped butter, grated cheese and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the whisked egg until the mixture goes into a ball. You might need to add a little water to get the mixture comes together. Wrap the pastry and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.  Pre heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4, lightly butter grease a muffin tray.  Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out to 3mm thick, cut into rounds slightly bigger than the holes in your tray.  Use the scraps to decorate the top/ Place the circles in the muffin tray, add a teaspoon of the filling and a pastry top or pattern.  Bake for 10/12 minutes until golden brown, cool, to serve dust with icing sugar.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, 8 chicken thighs, 300g streaky bacon, 2 onions, 2 carrots, ½ a savoy cabbage, 500g mushrooms we suggest chestnut, 4 tablespoons plain flour, 500ml Sheppy’s Dabinett cider, 1 ½ litres chicken stock, 5 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves,150ml double cream,2 tablespoons English mustard, 2 whole lemons, handful of tarragon leaves.

Ingredients for croutes.

Large handful of parsley leaves chopped (keep the stalks for the chicken) 100ml olive oil, 1 Hobbs house baguette.

Method:

Heat the oil in your large casserole deep dish (you will need a lid). Season the chicken thighs and put to one side. Reduce the heat and add the diced bacon to the dish.  Fry until golden brown, then set aside with the chicken. Add the finely chopped onions, finely chopped onions, and sliced cabbage to the pan.  Fry over a low heat until soft.     Add the chopped mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour until it disappears then add the Dabinett cider (or a medium/dry cider) and the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Tie the thyme and parsley stalks, bay leaves together with kitchen string ass the to the casserole dish, add the lemons cut in half and the chicken and bacon. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hr until the chicken is tender and coming away from the bone. Carefully remove the chicken and keep warm. Discard the lemons and the herbs.  Turn up the heat and simmer the liquid until reduced by half.  Meanwhile. 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. In a small bowl, mix the chopped parsley leaves, oil and plenty of salt and pepper.  Slice the baguette into 2.5 cm rounds, dip each side into the mixture to coat, then place herb side up on a baking tray and bake until golden brown about 15 minutes.   Add the cream, mustard and chopped tarragon to the sauce, season to taste.  Return the chicken to the casserole dish and warm through.  To serve springle some more parsley, serve with seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes.

Make the most of this season's best produce with this pumpkin and Sheppy's Cider soup. It's a real autumnal delight that will keep you cosy during the colder months.

This comforting blend captures the essence of autumn in every spoonful, combining the rich earthiness of roasted pumpkin with the sweet notes of apple cider 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 large brown onion, chopped,2 garlic cloves, crushed, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1kg butternut or pumpkin, peeled, chopped (keep the seeds for later) , 500g cream delight potatoes, peeled, chopped, 330ml Sheppy's Classic Draught Cider, 475ml chicken stock, 2 tbsp pure cream, 2 bacon rashers, chopped, 1 apple, peeled, halved, cored, diced

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add pumpkin and potato and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Sheppy's Classic Draught Cider and stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove and discard thyme and blend in batches, until the mixture is smooth. Return to the pan over low heat, add cream and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Add the apples to the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until golden and just tender, stirring occasionally.

Don't throw away the seeds if you're cooking a pumpkin – try roasting them with this easy recipe. They make a tasty snack with a little seasoning, or an eye-catching garnish.  Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Wash the seeds thoroughly and remove any stringy bits of pumpkin flesh. Dry well using kitchen paper. Put the seeds on a baking tray and toss with the olive oil. Roast for 10 mins. Serve with a little seasoning for a snack, if you like, or use as a garnish for  soups.

Ingredients:

3 medium apples, peeled and grated (16oz/ 454g), 3 oz/ 85g Smoked Belton cheddar cheese, 2fl oz/ 60ml heavy cream, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons fresh diced sage leaves, 71/2 oz / 213g flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoons butter, diced. Egg wash

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Squeeze any excess liquid out of the grated apples, place into a bowl along with the cheese, cream and egg. Whisk together and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Rub the cold butter between your thumb and fingers to mix in the butter to the flour. (until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs) Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, working quickly, knead the mixture just until it comes together.  Gather into a ball, transfer to a floured surface, and roll out to a 15cm circle, roughly 3cm thick.  Cut the disc into 8 wedges, put onto the parchment paper and brush with egg wash.  Bake until they are golden, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve with our Gold medal chutney and a wedge of Cheddar.

Cider-cooked apple, onion and cheese Galette

Ingredients:

For the pastry - 165g plain flour, plus extra dust,100g cornmeal or polenta, ½ tsp salt, 165g unsalted butter, wrapped in foil, then frozen for 1 hour, 8 tbsp iced water, 1 egg, beaten.

Or to make this easier exchange the pastry for Hobbs house pre frozen pizza dough, sold in our farmshop.

For the centre - 60g unsalted butter, 3 large onions diced, 4 apples peeled and sliced we recommend Falstaff, 300 ml of Sheppy’s 200 cider, 150g grated Organic Godminster cheddar, 150g grated Cornish gouda, pinch cayenne pepper, 1 ½ tsp mustard powder, 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves finely chopped, plus a little for garnish. Salt and pepper for seasoning.

Method:

For the pastry, put the plain flour, cornmeal/polenta and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir. Grate in the frozen butter, then add the flour over the butter, fold with a butter knife.  Slowly add the water, stirring with knife (stop adding water as it starts to come together) Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, bring together with your hands. Handle the pastry as little as possible, to keep the butter from melting. Wrap in cling film, then chill for 2 hours.

For the filling - Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the onions and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and golden brown and caramelised. Add the apples and the cider, on a high heat for 15 minutes until the cider has evaporated.  Put the mixture on top a plate to cool, then season with pepper and cool. Heat the oven to 200°C. mix the cheeses, cayenne, mustard, and chopped herbs into a bowl. Remove the chilled pastry, unwrap, then roll it out on a floured surface to a thickness of 50 mm.

Lift the pastry onto a large, lined baking sheet, then add the cooled filling into the middle, leaving 3cm around the edge.  Scatter most of the cheese over the onion mixture, then fold the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs, then Add the remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, add the garnish, then slice and serve.

Capreolus Chorizo crusted Monkfish with easy beans

This recipe comes from Marcus Wareing and is a lovely combination of textures and flavours. Updated with a cider twist.

Ingredients:

Two filleted monkfish steaks, 50g of Capreolus sliced Cooking Chorizo, 250g unsalted butter, 100ml Cloudy Sheppy’s Cider, 70g grated Mild cheddar we recommend Hereford Hop, 70g breadcrumbs, tinned 5 bean salad, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 fresh chilli, 1/2 tsp Chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp Paprika, 1 tbsp Olive Oil, I red onion, Tinned plum tomatoes - Optional Fresh Parsley or Coriander  chopped to garnish top, served over a bed of steamed rice.

Method for the crust:

Soften the butter. Combine the softened butter and the sliced chorizo in a kitchen mixer; beat until smooth. Add the grated cheddar and breadcrumbs into the mixture. Roll the mixture into a cylinder, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge

Method for the beans:

Finely slice the onion and peppers and fry in a little olive oil. Add the chilli, the chilli flakes and paprika with the Cloudy Sheppy’s Cider and simmer for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the drained tinned beans and tomatoes and simmer for a further 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Heat a pan and add a knob of butter. Place the two monkfish steaks in the hot pan and sear gently for 2 to 3 minutes before turning. After a further 3 minutes add a slice of the chorizo crust to each piece of monkfish and glaze under the grill until golden and crispy. Serve the fish on the easy beans and tuck in! Optional serve over steamed rice with fresh parsley or coriander for garnish. 

Homemade cider-based BBQ sauce recipe.Made using Sheppy's Classic Cider, it has a sweet tangy flavour and goes with almost anything!

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter, 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced,
125ml apricot jam, 250ml tomato sauce, 125ml Sheppy’s Classic Cider, 125ml plus 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp mustard, 1 chilli, minced

Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the apricot jam, tomato sauce, cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and chilli.
Simmer over low heat until thick and glossy, about 20 minutes.

For something delicious and thirst-quenching. Try this fresh cider pitcher recipe and enjoy in the sunshine with your family and friends this Summer. Made with refreshing Sheppy's Dabinett Cider.

Ingredients:

125lt Sheppy's Dabinett Cider, 125lt Lime Juice, 625lt Soda water, 2tsp Caster sugar, sprig of fresh mint, apple sliced, ice.

Method:

Fill pitcher with ice cubes, Add the 125lt of lime juice. Stir gently to combine the ingredients. Pour over the 125lt of Dabinett Cider. Top up the pitcher with soda water. Give it a gentle stir to mix everything together. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and slices of apple. Serve and enjoy

Feel free to adjust the proportions of the ingredients according to your taste preferences. You can also change the cider to sweeten or make dryer. Cheers!

Looking to add a twist to your Sunday supper? Try these delicious cider-infused fondant potatoes to go along slide your crispy roast chicken. We love to use Sheppy’s Original Cloudy Cider which adds a sweet apple flavour that everyone will love.

Save this post ready for Sunday.

Ingredients:

6 medium floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, 25g butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, bashed, few sprigs thyme or rosemary,300ml Sheppy’s Original Cloudy Cider, 300ml chicken stock

Method:

Peel potatoes and trim the two longer sides so potatoes lie flat on both sides. Heat butter and oil in a frying pan large enough to hold all of the potatoes. When the fat is hot, fry on both sides until dark golden, around 10-15 mins, then add garlic. Pour in enough cider and stock to go halfway up the side of the potatoes. Simmer for 20 mins, then turn and cook the other side for 20 mins. Top up with cider and stock if the liquid evaporates. Transfer to oven for 10 mins at 180°C/160°C/ gas 4 once the meat is resting, roast until most of the liquid has evaporated.

This time of year you can forage wild garlic from most hedgerows, woodlands including our orchards. This can be a fun and rewarding experience. Homemade wild garlic pesto, can be used as a delicious spread on sour dough, tossed with pasta, drizzles over roasted vegetables, or used as a sauce for grilled meats.

Ingredients:

125g fresh wild garlic leaves/flower buds, 125g fresh basil leaves, 50g pine nuts, 125g Parmesan cheese, 50ml walnut oil, 50ml Cloudy Vintage Sheppy's Cider, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper

Method:

As soon as you pick the wild garlic, gently wash it, blanch in a pan of boiling water, then immediately into a bowl of iced water.  Drain and squeeze off any water and pat them dry. In a food processor or blender, combine the wild garlic leaves, basil leaves, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Pulse a few times until the ingredients are roughly chopped and well combined. Slowly pour in the walnut oil and the Sheppy's cider while the food processor is running, until the mixture reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pulse a few more times to incorporate the flavours. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning or add more lemon juice if desired. Transfer the pesto to a clean jar or container. If you're not using it immediately, make sure to cover the surface of the pesto with a thin layer of oil. Store the pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week.

PLEASE NOTE: Wild garlic looks similar to lily of the valley - which is poisonous.  The main difference between the two is the smell of the garlic.  If you're in any doubt about which plant you have do not eat it.

Indulge in the rich and creamy goodness of baked camembert with this simple yet delicious recipe. With its gooey centre and golden crust, it's a delightful treat for cheese lovers.

Ingredients:

1 whole highland camembert cheese 250g, 500ml of Vintage Sheppy's Cider (generous amount drizzled, enjoy the rest of the bottle while you're cooking), 50g of chopped Walnuts, 50ml of Honey, 1 fresh fig cut into quarters, 1-2 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Remove any packaging from the cheese and place a small casserole dish or a Sheppy's Camembert baker. You can use a wheel or a wedge. Using a sharp knife, make small incisions on the skin of the camembert on the top, drizzle a generous amount of Sheppy's Vintage Cider. Insert the thinly cut garlic into the cuts. This will infuse the cheese with a lovely flavour as it bakes. Place the cheese baked in the preheated oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is soft and gooey in the centre, and the top is golden brown. While the camembert is heating, get ready your honey, walnuts and figs optional. Once baked, carefully remove the camembert from the oven and let is cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with the honey, chopped nuts and fruit.

Serve with fresh warm crusty bread, crackers or fruit to dip.

Ingredients:

60g butter, 60g plain flour, 250ml Sheppy’s Craft Perry cider, 250ml milk, 1 tbsp mustard, ½ lemon, juiced, 2 tbsp cream, 3 leeks, sliced, 1 large apple, peeled and sliced, 500g cooked chicken, cubed, 50g sage cheddar, grated – yes, it is bright green! (Alternatively use mature cheddar), 800g Shortcrust pastry, Salt and black pepper, 1 egg whisked

Method:

To create the sauce, melt half the butter in a pan with the flour. Stir this over a medium-low heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and start adding the cider a little at a time, mix well with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until all the cider has been added, then add the milk in the same way. Add salt and pepper and return to the heat to bring to the boil. The mixture will start to thicken. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, lemon juice and cream then taste for seasoning and put to the side. Melt the other half of the butter in a pan and fry the leeks and the apples for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until tender. Take the lid off and increase the heat to reduce any juice. Add half the cheese to the sauce, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the leeks and apples. Remove from the heat and cool the sauce until you’re ready to assemble the pie. Just before assembling, stir the chicken into the sauce.

Grease the base and sides of a 25 x 20cm tin. On a floured surface, roll out half the pastry to the thickness of 5mm. Put into the tin, making sure it covers the base and sides. Add the chicken mixture on top of the pastry. Add the rest of the cheese to the top. Roll out the other half of the pastry to the thickness of 5mm. Add the pastry as a lid. Crimp the edges and use the remaining pastry to decorate. Make three small cuts in the top to let out steam.  Brush the top with the egg mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 mins, until the pastry is a deep golden colour. Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Ingredients:
400g Chestnut Mushrooms, 25g Butter, 150g Sweet potato, 1 Large onion, 750ml Veg stock, 250ml Kingston Black Cider (the other half for you to enjoy)100ml Double Cream, 75g Barkham Blue Cheese, 2 cloves of garlic crushed. fresh parsley to garnish.

Method:
Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat.
Dice the sweet potato and onion into small cubes, add into pan with crushed garlic, cook for 15 minutes on a low heat.
Slice the mushrooms add to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, cider and seasoning, simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend the soup until smooth.
Add the cream and cut up Barkham Blue, simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with some fresh parsley on the top.

Ingredients:
1kg fresh mussels,1 tbsp olive oil,1 garlic clove, finely chopped, 3 leeks, trimmed and sliced, 500ml cider (we recommend Sheppy's Vintage Reserve Cider), 250g tagliatelle, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Method:
Wash the mussels under cold running water, removing any beards by pulling them sharply off the shells. Discard any broken mussels, or any that don’t close when tapped. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan over a medium heat and add the garlic and leeks. Cook for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened. Pour in the cider, season and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the mustard, then tip in the mussels, cover and cook for 5 mins, shaking the pan occasionally. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened. Scatter over the parsley to serve.

Ingredients:
50g each sultanas and raisins, 6 tbsp Sheppy's sweet Farmhouse cider, 215g plain flour, 15g corn flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 300g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling, 175g butter, softened, 2 medium free-range eggs, 750g eating apples (about 6), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces, 100g lightly toasted walnuts, broken into small pieces.

Method:
1) Cover sultanas and raisins into a small bowl with 3 tbsp of cider and set aside for at least 2 hours or overnight. 2) Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin. 3) Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and ground/grated spices into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and butter and beat until well mixed. 4) Add the eggs and beat. Beat in the remaining 3 tbsp cider. 5) Fold in the prepared apples, sultanas/raisins and walnuts. Add the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the surface. 6) Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes, covering loosely with foil or a double sheet of baking paper once it’s richly browned on top, until it is firm to the touch. Sprinkle with caster sugar and serve to finish.