Welcome to The Pellicle Mixtape, a regular feature where I (Pellicle co-founder Jonathan Hamilton) will be asking people from across the food and drink industry to create a playlist set to a theme of their choosing.

The hope is to gain a small insight into that person and their place of work through not only their song choices but also the thought process and level of obsessiveness they put into their mixtape. I’ll also be asking them what they’ve been enjoying eating and drinking recently, and finding out what else has been exciting them in the world of food and drink.

In this, the tenth in the series, and in celebration of our first anniversary, we welcome back Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider and Perry, who we profiled on our launch day last year.

Today, May 1st 2020, is Pellicle’s first birthday. A year ago, in a world which seems very different, Matthew and I finally launched the magazine we had been working on behind the scenes for 6 months, unveiling the website to the public, and throwing a party at Craving Coffee, surrounded by our closest friends, and industry peers.

When we launched the website, the first three articles were on eating oysters on the west coast of Ireland, Black Hand Wine in Cumbria, and Tom Oliver, the much-lauded and legendary cidermaker from Herefordshire.

It’s interesting looking back that we chose to launch with articles which weren’t focussed on beer. Conscious that we were both very much a part of the beer “scene” we wanted make sure that we were taken seriously as a publication that gives as much attention to food, wine, cider and travel as it does to beer. In fact, it was to be another two weeks before we published a piece on beer with Lily Waite’s excellent profile of Boxcar Brew Co. in East London.

WhatsApp Image 2020-04-30 at 12.47.07.jpeg

Deciding what would be our first story on cider was a no-brainer. Both of us had been fans of Oliver’s Cider and Perry for a few years. My first real introduction to Oliver’s was in 2017 when living near to the excellent Clapton Craft in Finsbury Park. It was a stunning evening in late summer, and 18 months into my brewing career at Beavertown I probably fancied something other than beer for a change. It was during this period of beer fatigue when I started to become more interested in wine and cider.

I was recommended Gold Rush—the long-running transatlantic collaboration between Oliver’s and Ryan Burk of Angry Orchard in New York—in the old 500ml bottles. I still remember sitting on the back porch of my flat in the sun having my first sip, and finally understanding why I had been hearing so many wonderful things about the cider from this producer.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tom a few times over the following years, at two Beavertown Extravaganza festivals, and at an intimate tasting in the back garden of The Axe in Stoke Newington with my friend Robin (formerly of Burning Sky Brewery, soon to be head brewer at Beak Brewery due to open in Lewes very soon.) Tom Oliver has always been a close friend of the brewing community, especially those in the mixed-fermentation side of things. Over the last few years, Tom has been involved in collaborations with The Kernel, Brew By Numbers, Mills, and Burning Sky to name a few. In these collaborations, Tom provided fresh juice, skins, lees, and barrels to collaborating breweries but mainly he supplied knowledge.

Amongst his peers, and those in the know, Tom has had a long-standing level of respect and admiration, but in the last few years, Oliver’s have become one of, if not the cidermaker of choice for beer fans and brewers alike. However, not many of these fans know much about Tom’s other life in the music industry. Tom has been a tour manager for over 40 years for a number of bands including Everything but the Girl, and Television, but most notably he has been tour managing Scottish sensations The Proclaimers since 1988, a role which has taken him all around the world.

And so to mark our first birthday, and the tenth in the mix series, I present the Pellicle Mixtape of Tom Oliver. Tom gives an insight into why he picked the songs he did, as well as what he’s been eating, drinking and reading recently.

Over to you, Tom!

Editors Note: This volume of the Pellicle Mixtape series was put together a few months ago before the lockdown came into effect in the UK. As such, some of the food and drink suggestions may seem a little odd right now, but hopefully, these establishments will be there waiting for your custom once lockdown ends.

Volume 10— Cidermaker and Owner of Oliver's Cider & Perry, Tom Oliver

“There are no guarantees in life, if you want to do something, get on and do it but be smart, not somebody else’s fool”.

Much of my time has been spent mixing live sound for bands and blending ciders for drinkers. “On the Road” is a compilation of some tunes that fuelled the journey.

It’s for everybody who has ever gone out on a limb.

Johnny Kidd And The Pirates — I’ll Never Get Over You

The first 45 bought by my Granddad for me.

Mott the Hoople — The Moon Upstairs

Herefordshire’s finest and some wonderful show opening rocking mayhem.

Bad Co. — Can’t Get Enough

Ex-Mott the Hoople guitarist, born in next door village, a childhood hero and if you are going to write a simple chunk of rock and blues, then this is a gem.

The Pretenders — Kid

I looked after James Honeyman Scott while in Herefordshire before he joined The Pretenders, gone too soon but what a solo! Martin Dale Chambers remains the only original member other than Chrissie Hynde and lives just up the road and drinks cider!

Gregory Isaacs — Night Nurse

I worked with Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Capital Letters and Misty in Roots but Gregory Isaacs and the Roots Radics were sublime. Frequently I’d be the only white guy in a venue!

Haircut 100 — Love Plus One

The pop era and what a fun, teen loved-band they were. Dance!

Stray Cats — Rock This Town

It all happened with these lads. Whatever you think happens on the road, did—Sex, drugs and rock and roll, Hell’s Angels, guns. They took me from Hereford and kept me on their sound crew for a year of riotous shows.

It Bites — Kiss Like Judas

For some 6 years, this unbelievably gifted band of musicians from two small towns on the Cumbrian coast stunned the prog music world with their live shows. On the strength of these boys, I got asked to mix Yes, Jethro Tull and Roger Waters—needless to say, I said no to them all. Very proud of my time with these boys and the subsequent live albums released of my mixtapes.

Jellyfish — The King is Half Undressed

Their reputation got as far as San Francisco. More talented lads. Thank you, Shalom Aberle, for lending them to me! I did Wembley Stadium with these lads supporting INXS.

Massive Attack — Protection

I worked for a long time with Ben and Tracey from Everything but the Girl, some 13 years or so, on and off. This was a fabulous tune and touring with Massive Attack was as out-on-a-limb as they ever got.

The Proclaimers — Oh Jean

I started working with Scotland’s finest in 1998 and I’m still touring the world with The Proclaimers. Tour Manager and Sound Mixer (yes, it was ghastly at the Hydro in Glasgow). Over 30 years, many thousands of shows, hundreds of thousands of miles [I’m really struggling to not make the joke here—Ed] and hectolitres of booze. Great times shared in a unique bubble that really only makes any sense if you have done it! This tune was chosen because, as far as I know, it will never be played live again.

Editors Note: The fact that we published this Tom Oliver mix exactly one year after our article on them is a pure coincidence, that we only figured out this week. Further, the last song on my own mixtape, the first in the series was Sunshine on Leith (where I now live) by The Proclaimers.

Now some tunes, players or bands that I played a lot:

Derek and the Dominoes — Layla

Duane Allman on slide guitar is so, so good. A love song.

Lynyrd Skynyrd — Sweet Home Alabama

Yes, I know, rednecks, the Southern flag etc. but this is where these boys were from and if you are going to write a tune, then this is a cracker. I saw them at Bristol Colston Hall (ironically no longer to be called that because of Colston’s slavery connections) and it was one of the best gigs ever, and I’ve been to a lot of gigs.

Thin Lizzy — The Boys are Back in Town

Saw them many times and it was everything I wanted from a live show. Phil Lynott, another massive talent succumbing to drug complications.

AC/DC — Back in Black

Classic rock.

Hem — Half Acre

My favourite pastoral band.

Ian Hunter – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

The governor. At over 80 years old, he is still writing and if tinnitus allows, he will be out gigging again. From lead singer with Mott the Hoople to a wonderful solo career. A lifetime of tunes that mapped my life.

Del Amitri — Kiss This Thing Goodbye

I am a fan and this is the end of the show.

What have you been drinking recently?

Dry Still Cider, Lambics, Gueuze. A collab with Ryan Burk is bloody gorgeous—Thick as Thieves.

Tea: always black Kenyan or Earl Grey tea.

Where do I drink? Hereford Beer House and Beer in Hand.

Jonny Bright, Amelie and Aggers—great selection and always great conversation.

Where/What have you been eating recently?

I love food. Some of my favourites include A Rule of Tum, The Bookshop, and The Green Dragon (my home in Hereford). My best recent night out was with Jonny and Gen of Mills Brewing at Hereford Beer House and after at the Turkish Restaurant The Meze over the road.