Why Tutts Clump

Tutts Clump is a small hamlet in the village of Bradfield, which lies roughly half way between the towns of Reading and Newbury in West Berkshire.

My name is Tim Wale, and I was born in Tutts Clump in 1957. This is where I live, and this is where I started making cider, hence the name. I am married to Catherine and have five daughters, Marie, Sarah, Joanne, Lucy and Rachel. I am an Agricultural/Motor Engineer by trade, and have run my own business (Tim Wale Ltd) since 1986. Cider making started as a hobby in 2006 from home in Tutts Clump, but in 2008 I moved production to my work address just around the corner in Hungerford Lane, and now runs alongside the garage business.

Very few apples and pears that we use actually come from Tutts Clump, but the majority come from within West Berkshire, a few from South Oxfordshire, and a few from North Hampshire. Most of the fruit that we use would have other wise gone to waste.

The apples we use in the main are not dedicated cider apples, but are a mixture of eating cooking, and crab apples.

From around 5 gallons in 2006, to 20 gallons in 2007, in 2008 I made 600 gallons, and at this point decided to go commercial. 

We got through over 12 tons of apples between July and December 2009, and made up to our duty exempt limit of 1,500 gallons. About 150 gallons of this was Perry.

Between August and December 2010 we got through over 50 tons of apples and  made 36,000 litres. About 1,000 litres of this was Perry, 1,000 litres of dedicated cider apples, which we got from just over the border in Wiltshire, and 1,000 litres of Russet eating apples. We have now had to register for duty!

We managed to make 40,000 litres of Cider and 2,000 litres of Perry between August and December 2011 getting through over 70 tons of fruit by hand. Again most of the fruit is gathered from within West Berkshire, but this year around 15,000 litres of the cider is made from dedicated cider apples from Cholsey South Oxfordshire, Yeovil and Cheddar Somerset, and Oldbury on Severn South Gloucestershire, and 2,000 litres of the cider is made from local Russet eating apples.

Mission Statement. “To establish Real Cider and Perry at the forefront of English drinks, even if it takes the rest of my life”. Tim Wale