THE Vale of Evesham and surrounding area isn't seen as a cider region, with Somerset, Herefordshire and Devon more famous as lands of scrumpy.

However, in the Vale there's always been apples and pears at hand and a barrel of cider down the garden for home consumption has always been very much part of traditional local life.

Despite the decline in the numbers of orchards and cider houses, scrumpy cider drinking and making is still a popular local past-time, according to one producer who has turned his hobby into a thriving business.

Kevin Minchew runs Minchew's Real Cyder and Perry from his base at Ashchurch, near Tewkesbury and is keen to fly the flag for local producers.

"The shed culture's still alive and well in the Vale," he said, speaking as he pressed some apples as a favour to some pensioners who wanted some barrels in their outhouse because they couldn't get to the pub like they used to.

Originally Kevin was just a fan of what was a cheap and intoxicating alternative to beer and travelled the cider houses around the area to hone his tastebuds.

He was then inspired to take his growing interest in cider-making a step further with the closure of the well-known Plough Inn at Elmley Castle.

He started reading a book from the 1880s about cider and perry production which set him on the path to learning traditional techniques and he started his company in 1992.

In his first year he won first, second and third prizes at competitions with cider and perry made from 100% pure juice without any kind of additives.

He has stuck with that principle since and been proved right, each year winning a long list of top prizes, championships and national awards.

Nowadays, his brews are bottled and sold all over the country but he still refers to the old book of cider-making because he is still making cider and perry the same way, with the same equipment and with the same varieties of fruit.

Kevin has many an anecdote about cider drinkers of the Vale tottering home, via hedges usually, and several tales of garden sheds bursting under the strain of barrels wedged inside.

He remembers being told: "Watch out because cider drinking will kill you. It killed my father - it took 85 years though!"

However, he quashed rumours of dead rats, rusting metal and the like lurking at the bottom of barrels to add flavour - although chains are used to clean barrels which could explain away one rumour.

"People often ask me what's my secret ingredient," he said.

"They nudge me and say 'there must be something in it to make me drunk like that - I've never been drunk like that before!'

"But that's the thing about traditional cider, it gives people a whole different buzz!"

He advised home cider makers to be choosy about their fruit. and to keep their equipment scrupulously clean.

His main piece of advice for people was "go for it and keep the traditions alive".

Learn more about Minchew's Real Cyder and Perry on his website - www.minchews.co.uk.