Small-batch cider from our North Devon farm
Why “Bootneck”?
Bootneck is a nickname that has followed the Royal Marines for generations.
It's traditionally said to come from the stiff leather neck stocks once worn by Marines — reputedly offering some protection against a cutlass blow during close-quarter fighting at sea.
The leather stocks have long since disappeared.
The nickname hasn't.
And there's a good reason we've borrowed it.
The man behind the cider is John Towns, a former Royal Marine, who now applies rather more peaceful skills to turning the apples grown at Broomhill Farm into cider.
So Bootneck Brewery isn't a military-themed brand dreamt up in a marketing meeting.
There's a real Bootneck behind it.
From our trees to your can
Our cider starts in the orchard here at Broomhill Farm.
For the 2025/26 harvest, we decided to try something that probably wouldn't make much sense to a large cider producer.
We kept the apples from each tree separate.
They were picked separately, pressed separately and fermented in individual batches.
That means the cider in your can can be traced all the way back to the individual tree where its apples grew.
You'll even find the tree identified on the can.
It's certainly not the most efficient way to make cider.
But that's rather the point.
Meet Corps Cider
The first release from Bootneck Brewery is Corps Cider.
A naturally cloudy, easy-drinking cider made from apples grown here on the farm.
It's not overly dry and it's not overly sweet. Instead, we've aimed for something light, refreshing and uncomplicated — the sort of cider you happily reach for another of.
And because of the way we've made this particular harvest, different trees may produce slightly different ciders.
That's part of the fun.
A cider with a connection to the Corps
The Royal Marines connection goes beyond the name on the brewery.
For every can of Corps Cider sold, we donate 25p to the Royal Marines Association in North Devon.
It's a small contribution from a very small brewery to a community that has been an important part of our family's story.
Made small.
Made here.
Bootneck Brewery isn't about making millions of cans that all taste exactly the same.
It's about seeing what we can make from what grows around us.
A particular apple tree.
A particular harvest.
A particular year.
And occasionally an idea that seems worth trying simply because nobody sensible would attempt it at industrial scale.
Grown at Broomhill Farm. Made at Bootneck Brewery.
Why Tango-4?
Where's the badge?
John Towns — The Bootneck Behind the Brewery
John served as a Royal Marine during the 1960s, a period that took him far from home and included active service in Aden and Borneo.
Decades later, life is rather quieter. Today, John is the man behind the cider at Bootneck Brewery, turning apples grown in our North Devon orchard into small batches of Corps Cider.
The name Bootneck isn't simply part of the branding. There's a real Bootneck behind every batch.