Commonwood Farm is a traditional family farm in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire.
Sarah and her husband Bruce Starkey are the 5th generation to farm the land. Sarah says, “I had always dreamed of owning a vineyard since working in one many years ago; instead, I married a farmer who happened to have an ancient perry pear orchard!”
“I decided that it would be fun to create a bottle-fermented perry in the style of champagne and treat this 200-year-old orchard like an ancient, treasured vineyard,” Sarah explains. “I also have a background in food and drink marketing, so I thought it would be fun to create
Sarah’s husband’s family has been at Commonwood Farm since 1887, but the perry pear orchard dates back to the 1700s. Treating the orchard like a vineyard and making the most of the rare and special fruit available has created the award-winning drinks brand. Worcestershire has a rich history of cider and perry making. Worcestershire is a region with a strong tradition of cider making, producing a variety of ciders from apples grown locally.
“Worcestershire is well known for its apples and pears – so much so that Tenbury Wells was once called ‘The Town in the Orchard’ by Queen Victoria. It is wonderful to be able to work with this rich historical heritage, and the geography of the Teme Valley makes it an excellent place to grow fruit.”
“I am looking forward to playing a part in this year’s Taste Worcestershire; food and drink are hugely important for a rural county like ours. Being part of an event with other restaurants and food and drink producers showcasing our work and creating special menus is exciting for us.”
Sarah provides an insight into how their products are made:“The juice is very slowly fermented until we hear the first cuckoo the following spring, a very old and slow custom, not often applied these days when production and life in general are all about speed! I love trying out new ideas; we are currently ageing some cider brandy and working on a new pear and ginger liqueur in time for Christmas.”
The farms' orchards have interesting names reflecting tradition and the land they occupy, with Bannut being one of them – meaning an English walnut. Walnut trees still grow on the farm today, hence the names of the vintage sparkling perry and vintage pear gin. The Bannut perry and gin have both been winners of The Great Taste Awards since 2020.
The bottle-fermented sparkling perry, otherwise known as our pear fizz, is Sarah’s favourite. Infinitely versatile in cocktails, our first product is inspired by Napoleon’s quote: 'Perry is the English Champagne.'
Commonwood Farm has an exciting season ahead, launching new drinks for Christmas and working with more pop-ups and events at the farm, such as festive wreath making.
For further information on Commonwood Farm, visit https://www.commonwoodfarm.com/
