At Vigo, we are passionate about helping producers grow their production and create high-quality beverages. But some of our team members aren’t just supporting producers; they produce themselves.
Discover Win’s Cider, started by Tom Wintrip, part of our sales team here at Vigo.
A Passion For Cider
Tom started making cider a year after joining Vigo. Having grown up in Somerset, he has always loved orchards, as they are a massive part of the local history and heritage.
Tom says he was “interested to see how our customers make cider and the process from collecting apples to a finished product.”
He entered some cider into the British Cider Championships at the Bath & West and got good feedback. He was inspired to make the most of the unwanted fruit going to waste in so many orchards and wanted to make enough to sell on a very small scale. This is the creative idea which has led to his brand; Win’s Cider.
Tom’s Cider Making Process
We asked Tom to tell us more about the practicalities of his cidermaking:
Tell us your process for making cider, where do you carry this out, what’s your set up like?
“I pick fallen apples from disused orchards, wash them and then mill them with a Speidel Mill, use a Speidel Hydropress and ferment using wild yeasts over winter and minimise intervention to keep the cider as natural as I can.”
Tom uses several products from Vigo and Rawlings including the Speidel Mill which he says is “a great bit of kit and makes short work of a crate of apples.”
He also uses the Tenco Enolmatic Vacuum Filler and Rawlings A2105 Standard Lightweight Bottles to bring everything together as a final product.
Win’s Cider And Vigo
How has working for Vigo influenced your cidermaking process?
“I read Andrew Lea’s ‘Craft Cider Making’ which gave me a real insight into cidermaking, and that alongside speaking to colleagues and customers has helped me to build that knowledge because I’ve come across a wide range of approaches and ways of doing things.”
Win’s Cider has given Tom “a much closer connection with customers and a much better understanding of every stage of the process.”
He says, “I hope it shows that I’m not simply there to sell them equipment. I have a genuine interest in what they do because I’m doing it myself, and that shared experience makes for much more meaningful conversations and relationships.”
Quickfire Questions
What’s your favourite stage of cidermaking and why?
“I love milling and pressing, after hours picking the apples, it’s really satisfying crushing them into pulp and watching the juice flow out of the press.”
Do you have a favourite variety of cider that you make?
“My medium blend; cider drinkers and non-cider drinkers really enjoy it. It’s got good flavour, body and balance while remaining approachable to a wide variety of people.”
Tell us your proudest moment so far in your cidermaking journey?
“Winning the newcomer class at the Bath and West this year, I even got a trophy! Or being told my cider was ‘not bad’ in the office; it’s hard to make a great cider but easy to make a bad one.”
Can you sum up Win’s Cider in 3 words?
Honestly no idea!
The Future
For the future of Win’s Cider, Tom says he’d “love to devote more time to it” when he has bought his own house and can commit to somewhere permanent.
He says, “I’d love to keep making cider on the side of my job at Vigo, and continue to enter competitions and shows, and supply local businesses and markets.”
At Vigo, we are proud to support customers across a range of sectors in the industry, whether they are large or small scale, with equipment and consumables to ensure they meet their goals. As is clear with Win’s Cider, our team have a first-hand understanding of what it takes to produce and can therefore recommend the ideal tailored solutions to our customers.
Need advice on the right equipment for you? Get in touch with our team.
