A Dymock cider and perry expert has found himself in the TV limelight and, following a number of appearances on Channel Four’s Sunday Brunch programme, he will be on our screens yet again this Sunday evening when the BBC 1 Countryfile programme focus a large portion of their one hour show on Herefordshire.

On the show, Countryfile presenters, Matt Baker and Anita Rani are in Herefordshire, with Matt looking at the county’s historic perry-making traditions and helping out with the pear harvest.

He starts out at Westons, the cider makers at Much Marcle, who are also the world’s biggest producers of perry, then travels to the nearby 12th-century Hellen’s Manor, where some of the rarest and oldest pear trees in the world are to be found, many trees dating back over 300 years, planted to commemorate the coronation of Queen Anne.

Here, Matt meets self-styled local ’Ciderologist’, Gabe Cook, a man who has a passion for cider and perry. Gabe explains to Matt how perry should be considered to be our native ‘wine of the West’, a delicate and refined drink steeped in our local culture. Together they gather some pears before Matt heads off to make perry the old-fashioned way - on a stone grinding wheel with lots of elbow grease.

“It was great to appear on Countryfile,” said Gabe Cook. “Matt Baker was genuinely interested in the rich history of perry making, as well as enjoying the taste. The great thing, of course, is that there are a number of craft cider and perry makers in Herefordshire still upholding these fabulous traditions.”

The Countryfile programme is on BBC 1 this Sunday 30th October at 6.15pm