WHEN the apple fell on Isaac Newton's head in 1665 he of course discovered the law of gravitation, but in an alternate universe the British scientist is probably just as celebrated for taking the aforesaid apple and creating the perfect glass of cider writes TIM BUTTERS.

In Arthurian legend, the fabled island of Avalon was know as the 'Isle of Apples' and while the continent may boast of its vineyards and grapes, Britain has its orchards which supply the raw ingredients needed to make what some may refer to as British wine but most know as cider.

Two local brothers who know all about the fine art of creating that most traditional of beverages are Alex and Ben Culpin who run the rapidly expanding Monnow Valley based Ty Gwyn Cider,

Alex and Ben's stepfather, farmer James McConnel, had been growing cider apples on terraces on his farm near Skenfrith since 1969. 

Traditionally, all his cider apples were sent to Bulmers in Hereford, but when in 2006 they were unable to contract the entire tonnage of his crop, he decided to make and market his own cider and hired in the machinery to wash and crush the apples on site. 

They were then transferred into thousand litre vats for fermentation and stored in the farm buildings.

It was brothers Alex and Ben Culpin who really helped build the family business, both leaving their London jobs in the music industry to do so.

Expert opinion convinced them that their product had great potential, and so began the process of marketing and selling the cider. They worked hard to create a distinctive label and to make sure that the prose contained on it avoided gastro-cliches in favour of a sense of fun. 

Their strategy was simple - to sell the cider in the outlets where it would be most appreciated, and to build up a customer base of both cider aficionados and those making the leap from the big cider brands such as Magners and Strongbow. 

In Monmouthshire they found plenty of businesses recognising the value of stocking quality local produce from the smaller supplier.

One big influence on the business was Waitrose, who took on their ciders at three branches local to the Ty Gwyn Cider farm. It was the Abergavenny store which made a real difference to sales, being the only business in the town to sell their cider.

Ben explained, " Waitrose is the first and only supermarket to stock our cider. It has been a real boost having a supermarket that really believes in and values our produce. What's more selling through them has had a really positive effect on our business.

"Waitrose Abergavenny is currently the only business to sell our cider in the town, so we're delighted it is stocked there, particularly following the Abergavenny Food Festival, as customers who had enjoyed it there have been able to get hold of it directly at Waitrose afterwards."

Ty Gwyn is now producing 45,000 bottles a year (23,000 litres) and supplying local restaurants and businesses.

Every year Alex and Ben harvest the apples with a mechanical picker, then press the apples using their own hydraulic press which produces around 4,000 litres a day by hand.

The harvesting process which takes place every mid October for two weeks is quite an extraordinary sight, and unlike other ciders, 100 percent of Ty Gwyn cider comes from real apples.

These days business is booming , with sales up 20 percent on last year and up an impressive 50 percent at Waitrose.

For those of you wishing to sample the goods and see what all the fuss is about, Ty Gwyn cider is available at Waitrose stores in Monmouth, Abergavenny, and Caldicot.