Napton Cidery: Village Raising a Cidery | Local Community
They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, looking around the taproom this week, I’m pretty sure it takes a village to raise a cidery, too.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chaos of the business checking fermentation tanks, managing the harvest, or worrying about the latest B Corp audit. But every now and then, I have to stop and look at where we are. We’re producing award-winning cider that goes all over the UK, but none of it would exist without the people right here in Napton who said "yes" to us when we were just starting out.
The Land We Stand On It all started with a bit of a gamble. Or rather, a massive amount of trust.
We wouldn't be here literally without the Warner family. They own the beautiful farmland surrounding where we call home. Back in the early days, when this was more of a passion project than a business, they were kind enough to let Charlotte and me loose on the farm to create a cidery. They gave us the space to experiment, to fail, to fix it, and eventually, to grow.
The First Believers but making cider is only half the battle. You have to find someone crazy enough to sell it for you.
You never forget your first sale. For us, that was Napton Village Stores. They were our very first retail customer. They put our bottles on the shelf when we were an unknown quantity, giving us that first crucial stamp of local approval.
And then there’s The Folly. They were our first "on-trade" customer the first pub to put Napton Cider on the menu. There is a special kind of pride in walking into your local, seeing people enjoying a pint that you made, and knowing the landlord backs you 100%.
The Hands That Make It Happen Of course, none of this works without the people who actually keep the wheels turning.
I want to give a massive shout-out to our incredible staff. Whether they are pressing apples in the freezing cold or pouring pints with a smile when the taproom is heaving, they are the heartbeat of Napton Cidery. T
hen there are the volunteers. We are lucky enough to have locals and friends who turn up to help us—sometimes simply for the love of it but often just for a pint of napton cider. From lending a hand during the harvest rush or fixing gates when they fall down, to helping us steward our events, their generosity blows me away. You simply cannot buy that kind of community spirit.
More Than a Factory we talk a lot about "provenance" in this industry. Usually, that refers to where the apples come from. For us, provenance is also about the people.
Because of the Warners, the Village Stores, The Folly, and every staff member and volunteer who has pitched in, Napton Cidery isn’t just a production facility. We are a neighbour. We are part of the ecosystem of this village. Every bottle we ship out carries a bit of that Warwickshire spirit with it.
So, as we head into the thick of the festive season.
I just wanted to say a public thank you to the village and the people that raised us. We wouldn’t be here enjoying our wonderful taproom, our wild orchard and the delicious ciders without you.