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2 Dover Road
Waldershare
01304 448540
https://whatpub.com/green-oak-farm-cider-works
Above photo 2018. |
News just received states that the old "High
and Dry" is now called the "Cider Works" and a premises
license has been applied for. (November 2011).
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From
www.Dover-Online.com, 7 August 2010.
EASTRY COUPLES CIDER WORKS
PLAN FOR WALDERSHARE PUB.
Andrew Wedl, 56, and wife Amanda, 42, have been given the green light
by Dover District Council to have their own cider making business at the
"High and Dry" pub on Sandwich Road, close to Tilmanstone.
The couple, who bought the pub last year, will run a restaurant and
bar and have a country store to sell the Kentish brew and other local
produce, arts and crafts.
There are also plans for a museum charting apple-growing and
cider-making in Kent through the years and the planting of specimen
trees on site so guests can see where their cider comes from.
The apples for the cider will also be local - grown at Andrew and
Amanda's 1,500 tree orchard at their Green Oak Farm.
The exciting venture will provide five jobs with the possibility of
more as business grows.
Dad-of-two Andrew, who owned "The Royal hotel" in Deal and the "White
Cliffs" in St Margaret's before buying the pub, said: "We have a small
farm where we have planted out an orchard purely for growing cider
apples.
"We both come from the catering and hotel industry and wanted to go
back and create our own produce. That way we know the history of it so
it won't be organic but it is all Kentish produced with organic
principles.
"We wanted somewhere to make our own cider and that has to be
licensed so we bought the "High and Dry" and applied to change it to the
cider works and shop and to have a sort of museum so we can show the
progress of apple-picking through Kent and cider-making. We are going to
get some old cider making kit and have story boards."
Once the £200,000 cider-making kit has been bought and set in place
local schoolchildren will also be able to visit.
The former St Margaret's holiday park director said: "The chemical
process is part of the bio-chemistry curriculum on the current GCSE
programme. We hope to invite children over and they can see the process
of fermentation and see bio-chemistry at work. We can also go along the
lines of explaining about sensible drinking."
And if those plans weren't enough Andrew and Amanda say they are
going to make Kent's first sparkling cider from their produce and will
eventually expand the site for people to hold small parties and
receptions. Visitors will also be able to buy their own cider-making
kits, trees and produce from local farms and artisans.
Andrew said: "It's quite exciting. It's a new challenge, it's
interesting and we will be making something from our own produce.
"There will be five jobs to start with but we will grow."
The couple say the store and restaurant, which will serve local
produce, will be open for Christmas and, if they can get the first press
of apples soon enough, The Cider Works will also open for the festive
season. |
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 19
January, 2012. 65p. Report by Kathy Bailes
FAMILY ENTERPRISE MAKES NEW CIDER WORKS SPARKLE
A HUGE £700,000 investment and two-and-a-half-years building
and refurbishment work have finally come to fruition with the official
opening of The Cider Works.
The pub, shop, restaurant,
cafe, guest house and cider-pro-cessing combo, on the site of the former
"High and Dry" in Walder-share, was opened by the Earl of Guildford on
Saturday morning.
Owners Andrew and Amanda Wedl bought the pub in 2009, a year after
buying a small holding in Eastry where they now have a 2,000 tree
orchard.
Apples from their Green Oak Farm are pressed at The "Cider Works" and sold
alongside food, craft and drink produce from other local farms and
artisans. The venture has created six jobs since a “soft” opening at
Easter.
Dad-of-two Andrew, who previously owned the "Royal Hotel" in Deal and the
"White Cliffs" in St
Margaret's, said: “Some years ago we purchased the small-holding in Eastry and planted some apple trees.
Project
“We decided to make our own cider and so needed somewhere to sell it so
the "High and Dry" became our project. It has been a long, drawn-out
project with building taking two-and-a-half-years.
“But we are here now and business has been doing very well. We really
have to thank the parish council and community for so much support and
John and David Bradley for helping us with the
technology and information about how to grow our apples and how to go
down this road.
“It has been a huge learning process with the manufacturing, finding out
how it should be done and what facilities we needed.” The couple say The
"Cider Works" was born because they wanted to take a new direction.
Andrew, 58, said: “We wanted to change our lives. We had been in hotels
and decided we just wanted a different style of life.”
Future plans include a garden centre of fruit trees, planting of
specimen trees on site and, eventually, a museum charting apple-growing and cider-making in Kent through
the years.
Andrew said: “There has been a big resurgence in cider and it has been
quite difficult to get hold of all the stuff for the museum. We also
want to add the garden centre so people can have the whole experience
and come and buy a tree as well as their cider, crafts and local
produce.”
Functions can also be held on the site, which houses a £200,000
cider-making kit, with The "Cider Work's" first wedding already booked.
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 25 April, 2012. 65p.
FORMER hoteliers Andrew and Amanda Wedl, pictured
above, have their own cider making business at the "High and Dry" pub in
Sandwich Road, Waldershare.
They bought land at nearby Green Oaks farm and planted 2,000 heritage
variety cider apple trees.
In recent weeks, the first batch arrived, containing only apples sourced
from their own orchard.
“We have diversified by making our own cider and giving talks about the
process,” said Mrs Wedl.
“I don't think there's enough business out there for everyone any more.
It's not enough just to offer the traditional pub style."
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From the thisiskent.co.uk Monday, June 04, 2012
WALDERAHARE CIDER WORKS SPARKLE
Above showing Andrew and Amanda Wedl with daughter Marissa.
A HUGE £700,000 investment and two-and-a-half-years building and
refurbishment work have finally come to fruition with the official
opening of The Cider Works.
The pub, shop, restaurant, cafe, guest house and cider-processing
combo, on the site of the former "High and Dry" in Waldershare, was opened
by the Earl of Guildford last month.
Owners Andrew and Amanda Wedl bought the pub in 2009, a year after
buying a small holding in Eastry where they now have a 2,000 tree
orchard.
Apples from their Green Oak Farm are pressed at The Cider Works and sold
alongside food, craft and drink produce from other local farms and
artisans. The venture has created six jobs since a "soft" opening at
Easter.
Dad-of-two Andrew, who previously owned the "Royal Hotel" in Deal and the
"White Cliffs" in St Margaret's, said: "Some years ago we purchased the
small-holding in Eastry and planted some apple trees.
"We decided to make our own cider and so needed somewhere to sell it so
the "High and Dry" became our project. It has been a long, drawn-out
project with building taking two-and-a-half-years.
"But we are here now and business has been doing very well. We really
have to thank the parish council and community for so much support and
John and David Bradley for helping us with the technology and
information about how to grow our apples and how to go down this road.
"It has been a huge learning process with the manufacturing, finding out
how it should be done and what facilities we needed."
The couple say The "Cider Works" was born because they wanted to take a
new direction.
Andrew, 58, said: "We wanted to change our lives. We had been in hotels
and decided we just wanted a different style of life."
Future plans include a garden centre of fruit trees, planting of
specimen trees on site and, eventually, a museum charting apple-growing
and cider-making in Kent through the years.
Andrew said: "There has been a big resurgence in cider and it has been
quite difficult to get hold of all the stuff for the museum. We also
want to add the garden centre so people can have the whole experience
and come and buy a tree as well as their cider, crafts and local
produce."
Functions can also be held on the site, which houses a £200,000
cider-making kit, with The "Cider Work's" first wedding already booked.
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From the Dover Express, 30 July 2015.
Holiday chalets plan for pub.
WALDERSHARE: A former miners' pub near Whitfield is set to become a
holiday mini-centre if a scheme is approved by planners.
Andrew Wedl, of Eastry, has revealed he has a scheme for 13 holiday
chalets in the large garden of the Cider Works public house and
restaurant at Waldershare. Mr Wedl's planning application indicates the
13 "pods," scattered among the grass garden play area, would be timber
built, some with thatched roofs.
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Closed after the fire in April 2018, but hopefully to open again.
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From the
https://www.kentlive.news By Vicky Castle, 6 April 2018.
Fire crews raced to popular Dover restaurant The Cider Works.
It took teams two hours to put out the fire and there were four engines
sent to the scene.
Firefighters raced to a Dover restaurant this morning (April 6) after a
roof caught alight.
Crews were called to The Cider Works, in Waldershare at 9.38am and spent
two hours extinguishing the blaze.
Four fire engines and a height vehicle were sent to the restaurant,
formerly the High & Dry pub, on Sandwich Road.
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "We got the stop in
at 11.28am.
"Firefighters used three main jets to put the fire out and the were all
wearing breathing appartus.
"A height vehicle was used as well.
"It took teams two hours to put out the fire and there were four engines
sent to the scene.
"Two pumps are still at the scene damping down the fire."
There were no reported causalities and it is not yet known how the fire
started.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sam Lennon, 11 April 2018.
Rain damage hinders reopening of Cider Works restaurant in Sandwich Road,
Waldershare, after fire.
Hopes to promptly reopen a fire-struck restaurants have been dashed.
Managers at the Cider Works in Waldershare had hoped to be back in
business by Saturday morning.
But heavy rain last night caused more damage to the property and the
reopening has had to be put back.
Destruction: The fire tore through the roof of the restaurant. Picture:
Tony Flashman.
The new date for when customers can come back is now not yet known.
Amanda Wedl, from the restaurant, said: "Due to last night's heavy
rain we have had additional setbacks with further water damage and the
knock on effect with the electrics and so on.
"This being the case we are reluctantly going to have to put reopening
on hold for the moment until we can make the building water-tight."
The blaze at the Sandwich Road restaurant had broken out just after
9.30am last Friday, April 6.
Four fire engines were needed to deal with the blaze, which ripped
through the first floor and roof.
The building was evacuated of a small amount of people, restaurant staff
and occupants of flats upstairs but no customers.
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said today (Wednesday):
"The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and it is thought to
have started in the area of the main chimney."
Ms Wedl told the Mercury: "The majority of the damage has affected the
roof and first floor.
"Fortunately the ground floor has been relatively unscathed.
"It has been a terrible shock but we are so thankful for the efforts of
Kent Fire and Rescue Service who were absolutely outstanding.
"Not only did they bring the fire under control speedily but they worked
tirelessly to salvage important items. We have also been hugely bolstered
by the kind messages of support both in person and on our Facebook page.
"The next few months will obviously be a trying time but with the
continued support of our fantastic customers and friends we are sure we
will get through this."
Customers are being advised to visit the restaurant's Facebook page and
website ciderworks.co.uk for the announcement of the new opening date.
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From the Dover Mercury, 29 May 2019.
By Sam Lennon
Fire damaged pub building is up for auction
High and Dry pub could become five holiday chalets.
A former restaurant, struck by fire last year is up for auction.
The Cider Works in Waldershare closed following the blaze in April last
year.
It was also damaged by heavy rain afterwards.
The premises in Sandwich Road, formerly called The High & Dry, contained
a pub, restaurant, shop, two flats and cider processing combo.
It is among 135 lots listed by Clive Emson, the land and property
auctioneers, at its next sale.
The site is being offered with permission for the building of five
holiday chalets.
It is on a plot of 1.82 acres (0.73 hectares) of land and has a freehold
guide price of £390,000 to £400,000.
Auctioneer Kevin Gilbert said: “It was a shock and a shame when the
Cider Works was hit by fire.
“But there is an opportunity
for someone to create a phoenix and build something from what remains
or, perhaps, redevelop the site entirely, subject to all necessary
consents.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Charlie Harman, 23 July 2021.
The Cider Works reopens near Waldershare, Dover, three years after massive fire.
A pub has relaunched after years of fire damage repairs, now boasting on-site accommodation.
The Cider Works, just off the A256 near Waldershare, Dover, saw a large
fire tear through the building in 2018.
The Cider Works has been returned to its former glory, with a modern
makeover inside.
Despite hopes of relaunching quickly, the extensive damage coupled with
heavy rain meant the now-roofless pub had to close for good.
The following year it was sold to Jodie and Guy South who began two
years of renovations.
Mrs South said: "We have been working really hard to bring this iconic
venue back to life as it has been serving the community of Waldershare
since 1794 and is the only public house in the village.
"We are passionate about the produce of Kent and all our food and drinks
behind the bar will celebrate the best of Kent with gluten free and
vegan options always available.
Jodie South getting the keys to the wrecked building in 2019.
The roof and ceiling had to be completely rebuilt after the 2018 fire.
"We are delighted to be working with small and large suppliers
throughout the county from Kentish Pip Cider and Chapel Down Wines to
Canterbury Cheeses and Solley’s Ice Cream there will be plenty of
gorgeous treats to enjoy."
Currently the owners are looking for a full time chef, but a wide lunch
menu is still available with meat and cheese boards available throughout
the day.
Coffee and cakes are on offer in the morning Thursdays to Sundays with
gluten free and vegan options provided by the talented team from the
Lane Bakery in Deal.
In the long run, the couple hope to feature guest chefs who will take
over the kitchen for an evening and present speciality dishes.
On-site accommodation is now available in the form of five shepherds'
huts.
The Cider Works - previously known as the "High and Dry" - is also being
offered as a location for weddings, with three licensed ceremony areas
on-site and the option to have anything from a hog roast to a barbecue
or fine dining wedding breakfast.
Another venture the Souths have started is holiday accommodation.
Five individually-styled shepherds' huts have been installed and can be
booked through the pub's website.
The huts have a central fire pit, and are each equipped with a small
kitchen so short breaks can be self-catered too. |
I have been informed that the venue is open again, August 2021.
LICENSEE LIST
WEDL Andrew & Amada Nov 2011-19
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