Cider Done Right: Why Sandford Orchards Hits Different
The kind of drink that presses pause - refreshing summer pub drinks
You know the moment. That first cold sip on a warm afternoon, condensation beading down the glass, sun on your face, friends at the table, and a cider so crisp it feels like someone pressed pause on the world for a second.
At the Watermill, we’re all about those moments. The easy ones. The ones that aren't forced, the ones that really mark a moment. And when it comes to refreshing, summer-ready drinks, we’ve found the perfect partner in Sandford Orchards.
Because their cider doesn’t just taste good, it’s made properly, thoughtfully, and with just as much care as the moments it helps create.
Straight from the orchard
And it tastes like it. Sandford Orchards isn’t your average cider. Based in Crediton, Devon, they’ve been doing things their own way since 2002. Pressing fresh apples in the oldest working cider mill in the UK.
Founded by Barny Butterfield, a man who started making cider in his shed simply because he couldn’t find anything he actually wanted to drink, the Sandford story is a family-created one, rooted in passion, patience, and a deep love of Devonshire apples. Real ones. Grown in rich, fertile, local orchards, fermented slowly, aged to perfection, and bottled only when the flavour (and Barny) says so.
As Barny puts it: “We press true cider apples, ferment from fresh juice, and let that juice mature, age, and develop. Only when it’s ready do we bottle it.”— Barny
In other words: no shortcuts. Just cider done right.
Find your favourite
A brand with as unique a story as this really deserves a special place on the Watermill drinks menu, which is why you'll find such a variety of Sandford Orchards favourites. Whether you’re after something classic, fruity, or low-alcohol. Here’s what we’re pouring from our refreshing summer drinks menu:
Devon Red (on tap) – bold, crisp and properly refreshing. A full-flavoured, fresh apple cider that’s as sessionable as it is satisfying.
Devon Mist (bottle) – gently sparkling and naturally cloudy, with soft apple sweetness and just the right tang.
Berry Lane (bottle) – sweet summer berries meet sharp apple. Ideal for sunny garden days.
Fanny’s Bramble (bottle) – juicy blackberry with a touch of tartness. Like a hedgerow in a glass.
Devon Rosé (bottle) – a subtly sweet pink cider with floral notes and serious sunshine appeal.
Red Zero (0.5%) – all the flavour, none of the rest. Proof that alcohol-free doesn’t mean flavour-free.
Cider and sunshine: a perfect match
Whether you’re ordering Devon Red on tap with a sharing board, sipping Fanny’s Bramble in the garden, or going alcohol-free with Red Zero on a lunch break, Sandford Orchards cider fits seamlessly into the rhythm of a Watermill kind of day.
Alfresco afternoon? You’ll want Devon Mist, gently chilled.
Catching up over nibbles? Devon Rosé’s your glass.
Weekend round with mates? Stick with a classic pint of Devon Red and let the rest fall into place.
Here’s to cider done right
Sandford Orchards is the kind of drink you feel good ordering. Not just because it’s delicious, but because it’s been made with care, respect, and just the right amount of rebellion.
So next time you’re at the bar, check out our cider selection and ask for one of theirs. It might just become your new favourite.
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