Award-winning cidermaker opens micropub in Hereford

Herefordshire cidermaker Denis Gwatkin of Gwatkin's Cider in Abbeydore, has opened a micropub in Hereford's historic Buttermarket, serving a range of his award-winning ciders and perries as well as beers and lager from Wye Valley Brewery, either to drink in or takeaway. Denis, who has been making cider now for almost 30 years decided to open “Gwatkin'sHouse of Cider” in the Buttermarket as the building is undergoing refurbishment and regeneration with artisan food and drink producers moving in alongside the more traditional market businesses such as butchers and cheesemongers.

Above: Michael Sammars (Bar Manager), Theresa Roberts (Director of Gwatkin Cider) and Denis Gwatkin (Director of Gwatkin Cider)

According to Denis Gwatkin, “This is a great opportunity for us to be able to sell our ciders and perries in the heart of Hereford. We have a successful farm shop at our farm in Abbeydore but not everyone can get out to it, so this is our way of bringing our shop to the centre of the city of Hereford. We're stocking our full range of award-winning ciders and perries alongside other drinks and we are aiming our ciders to complement the range of food available in the Buttermarket. Customers are welcome to try our ciders and we have upcycled cable reels to serve as tables around our bar. We're very excited at this prospect and for the future developments in the Buttermarket.”

Hereford Buttermarket is undergoing a resurgence, along with new businesses such as Gwatkin Cider moving into the building there are plans to open up the upper floors to encourage more traders into the historic structure.

Gwatkin's House ofCider is open from 0900-1645 Monday to Saturday, in Hereford Buttermarket, High Town, Hereford, HR1 2AA

Cardiff to get a new micropub

With the closure of the Gravity Station in Barrack Lane, Cardiff has been missing a micropub. Yes I realise the Gravity Station did move to Womanby Street but it appears to have closed before Christmas and not reopened. So step forward Baptist Minister James Karran who has decided to change a former hairdressing saloon into St Canna's Alehouse, named after the saint who gave her name to the areas of Canton and Pontcanna.

St Canna's Alehouse is situated at 42 Llandaff Road, opposite the Butcher's Arms pub and James hopes to have the pub open in March, in the meantime keep up to date with what's happening via the pub's Facebook page.



There's an article on Walesonline about the pub as well

Micropub to open in Newport

A former computer shop in Newport is set to be turned into the City's first ever micro-pub. The Cellar Door at 5 Clytha Park Road will be the first pub in this part of the City, even in it's Victorian heyday there were no pubs in this area of Newport. The application for change of use was passed by the council earlier this month, although one local resident decided to be a NIMBY, Not sure if the moaner meant the empty building next door or the pharmacy when he complained, "There are plenty of drinking venues not only next door to that address but less than 200 yards into town centre". Still it's good for Newport and for brewers and cidermakers that there is a new independent outlet in the City. Good luck to Paul Tully in running this micropub. The pub won't be doing food but a few doors away is a fantastic burger restaurant, Meat, well worth visiting.

Mumbles Ale House

Whilst down the Mumbles the other day, we popped into the Mumbles Ale House, the newest addition to the Mumbles Mile and just a short walk off the main road. The pub opened last year in what was an art studio.

 Certainly it's one of the smallest micro-pubs I've been into but size does not matter here when you look at the range of real ales and ciders they have on sale.

 Although whether or not if it's the first micropub in Wales is debatable as the Waen-brewery owned Gravity Station opened in Cardiff earlier in the year. First micropub that's a freehouse in Wales to be more exact.