The last Cider Flagon maker in the country, right here at Wenlock Pottery.

Shropshire Star

Wenlock Pottery make Cider Flagons for Robinsons Cider. Robinsons are just south of Ludlow. They also make bits for Westons Cider, Hobsons brewery etc, and are the last potery to make cider Flagons.

Transcript

00:00So we're here in Much Wenlock, Wenlock Pottery, and introduce yourselves. Go on, sir, you're the master potter.

00:06Thank you. Well, I don't know. Anyway, I'm Mike Fletcher, Wenlock Pottery, for 46 years.

00:1246 years, been wheeling away.

00:14Making pots.

00:15And who've we got with you?

00:17So I'm Angus Robinson, so I'm a cider maker for Robinson Cider, and I'm sixth generation.

00:21So I was going to say, it's not just a coincidence, you are Robinson, as in the Robinson Cider.

00:26Yes.

00:26And a lot of people, like when I saw this, might recognise this.

00:31So, you make this for Robintons.

00:34I have, for a good many years now.

00:36Yeah, and I've been informed, Little Bird tells me, you're the last person in the country to be making these kind of flagons.

00:43Sadly to say, yes.

00:44Crazy, isn't it?

00:46It is a dying art.

00:47I mean, you know, we filmed this a couple of days after they've announced Moorcroft are shutting down, and, you know.

00:53It's a lot of, we're losing a lot of tradition here.

00:56Yeah, yeah.

00:57So how long have Robinson's been employing the services of this man, then, roughly?

01:01So we've been doing it for over 10 years now.

01:04Yeah.

01:04Easily, 10 years.

01:05I've been working with my dad.

01:06Yeah, yeah.

01:08Now we're working together as well.

01:10Exactly.

01:10We're just doing something together, making little, can I say that, little tasters.

01:17Yeah.

01:17And that, for Robinson's Cider, little tiny taster mugs, like you can say, really.

01:25Yeah, so people can taste the cider in the pubs.

01:27Oh, wow, okay.

01:28Is that like, almost like the little paddle boards kind of thing, where you have the little...

01:31Well, in fact, I think we made it for you earlier.

01:34Yeah.

01:34Oh, these are, okay.

01:36Wow.

01:37Okay.

01:37Look at those, cute little things.

01:40Lovely.

01:40So they will be...

01:42They'll end up looking like that.

01:43Oh, that's awesome.

01:45Cool.

01:45Will they be branded up as well?

01:46They'll be branded up as well.

01:47Yes, nice, nice.

01:49So, it's such a special trade, and the fact we've got you making the last ones in the country,

01:56and you're in Shropshire, originally a black country man.

01:59I am originally a black country man.

02:01So, working across Express and Star and Shropshire, we'll claim you as both.

02:04Thank you very much.

02:05So, it's quite fortunate, isn't it?

02:09I mean, I guess if this man wasn't doing what he was doing, the options...

02:14Well, it's going abroad, isn't it?

02:15Trying to find some bit of tap from abroad.

02:18That's what I was doing, so...

02:19Yeah, and the last thing you'd want when you've got, like, you know, Robinson's Cider made in

02:24Tenbury's to be putting it in jugs made in China or something, you know what I mean?

02:28Yeah, yeah.

02:29Yeah.

02:30You can find them, but they're just not the same.

02:31They're not the same.

02:32Yeah.

02:32Obviously talked about that.

02:34This could be commercially made, and that.

02:37A lot of people are getting these made in plastic now.

02:40Yeah.

02:41Yeah.

02:41Not the same.

02:42No, definitely not the same.

02:43Definitely.

02:44It's got all this amazing kind of character and detail on them.

02:46Yeah.

02:47Yeah.

02:48Yeah, he has the little logo on there, doesn't he?

02:50The WP.

02:51So this will be used, it's almost like a decorative bar feature in pubs.

02:56Exactly, yeah.

02:57So we put these on the bar, and there's a tap and bracket that comes off the bottom, and

03:00it's the tap that we used to serve the cider from, so...

03:01Fantastic.

03:03People actually love them.

03:04So how long's Robinson's Cider been going?

03:06So I'm sixth generation, so it's around about 200 years.

03:10That's crazy, isn't it?

03:11Yeah.

03:11Yeah, yeah.

03:12And how many different types of cider do you do, then?

03:15We do one main one in pubs, which is Robinson's Flagon, and then we've got two bottled ciders.

03:19We're actually about to bring out a non-alcoholic cider for the first time.

03:23Wow, okay, interesting.

03:24And people can find Robinson's Cider all across Shropshire, Black Country, yeah?

03:29Yes, yep, Shropshire, Black Country, West Midlands, Herefordshire, and down to Black Gloucestershire.

03:34Awesome.

03:35And you're just across the border from Shropshire, aren't you?

03:37Yes, so we're just south of Ludlow, just inside the Herefordshire border, but loads

03:42of pubs in and around Herefordshire, so Shropshire.

03:45So I'm going to ask you a question now.

03:47I'm going to see if you wince or agree.

03:49It's a hot summer's day, you get a pint of cider, you ask the bar mate to chuck a few

03:54ice cubes in there.

03:55Is that allowed?

03:56Oh no, what have I done?

03:57What have I done?

03:59I've never said that, I promise, I guess.

04:02That's a no-no, yeah?

04:04That's what I thought, guys.

04:05That's what I thought.

04:07They're used to there, aren't they?

04:08Yeah, yeah.

04:09Well, thank you guys, and thank you Wenlock Pottery for doing what you do, and Robinsons,

04:14keep them drinks a-coming.

04:16Cheers, buddy.

04:16What I will do now, I'll throw a flagon to show you.

04:20Oh, cool, great stuff.

04:22Oh.

04:25That reminds me of when I used to get to my nan's and I was naughty.

04:30You've got time for me to do that.

04:31Yeah, yeah.

04:31So how many of these do you make for Robinsons in a year, would you say?

04:38Probably about two.

04:39Yeah.

04:39Yeah?

04:391850.

04:40Yeah, yeah.

04:40These.

04:41These.

04:56That looks like that takes a bit of muscle to get in there and get it, you know what I

05:00mean?

05:01Lovely tactile material to work with, yeah?

05:09Oh, that's gorgeous.

05:17I'll do that.

05:21Am I the only one that's craving a pint of cider now?

05:28Look at that, guys.

05:31Look at this.

05:34So, do you supply flagons for other people as well, then?

05:38I do.

05:39I do, yes.

05:39Holt Norton Brewery.

05:41Yeah.

05:41Western Sider.

05:43Yeah.

05:43And it started many years ago, I understand, with Hobsons, Hobsons Brewery.

05:50Yeah.

05:51Well, well, no.

05:51So, back in the day, you were making a lot of lamps for people like Argos and that, but

05:59obviously, you have to diversify, isn't it?

06:02That's the word.

06:03I tell you what, it takes a few years to be able to do that in that speed.

06:13Look at that.

06:14Two years.

06:15Yeah.

06:16Look at that.

06:17Guys, believe me, as someone who has had a go once on a parting wheel, he's making this

06:23look a lot easier than it actually is.

06:2646 years, he's been doing it, so that's what you get.

06:43And what a thrill when you go into a pub and see a Robinson's wagon behind a bar, do you

06:48know what I mean?

06:51Look at that.

06:52Hey?

06:52Easy.

06:53No worries.

06:5429 more to go.

06:56Look at that, beautiful.

06:58So, what happens to this now, then?

07:00What's the next stage for that?

07:01Well, the next stage would be to put a stamp on it, and this is...

07:06Oh, is...

07:06Oh, oh, okay.

07:08It's a rubber stamp, it is.

07:09No way.

07:09Okay.

07:10The traditional, very old stamp.

07:12So, where was that stamp made?

07:13I'm curious now.

07:14This was...

07:14I don't know.

07:17Black country.

07:18Somewhere in the black country.

07:19Somewhere in the black country, yeah.

07:20Somewhere in the black country.

07:21Cool.

07:22So, what we would do, we'd put a finger in there, like,

07:25so...

07:26Yeah.

07:27Ah, go on then.

07:29Let's have a look.

07:30A little of the magic happens.

07:35Cool.

07:36Nice.

07:39Ta-da!

07:40That's beautiful.

07:42There you go.

07:42And that is the shrinkage.

07:54That is the shrinkage between that and that.

07:57What, you mean that one will end up that size?

08:00Yes.

08:00Wow.

08:01Yes.

08:02Interesting.

08:02What, when it'll come out the kiln and literally it's...

08:05No, in several weeks' time, because it'll take several weeks to get through the process.

08:09Yeah.

08:10That'll be that.

08:11That's crazy.

08:13And I guess you learn that the hard way as a butter, don't you?

08:15Yeah, this is the size I want it.

08:16And then you pull it out of the kiln and you're like, hang on.

08:19Right, well, lovely to meet you, gents.

08:21And long may both of your trades continue.

08:24Thank you very much.

08:25Thank you very much.

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