Somerset Keeved cider

Keeving is an artisan method for making naturally sweetened cider. Only cider apples are used; no sugar, no water, nothing else.

The process prevents yeast from fully fermenting apple juice into cider, so some natural fruity sweetness remains. Unlike the usual cider-making method where apple juice is fermented to dry and then sweetened artificially or with sugar.

Talking technically, keeving prevents full fermentation by the removal of nutrients. This involves the formation of a pectin gel, which floats to the top of fresh pressed apple juice in translucent tanks. The gel traps nitrogen and is removed. Starved of its essential nutrients, the wild yeast fermentation stops early, leaving natural sugars from the apples themselves to sweeten the cider.

Our keeved cider forms the core of every product that we make. With this we have blended other dry ciders, combined wild foraged fruits, and soaked it onto grape skins. In every case, the natural fruity sweetness of keeved cider lifts and balances the other flavours to make a unique and innovative drink.