The Ottery St Mary born British Ambassador to Japan, His Excellency Paul Madden, has been talking up Devon cider in the country.

HE Paul Madden was born right here in East Devon, in the town of Ottery St Mary, and took on roles as the High Commissioner to Singapore and to Australia before taking on the position of British Ambassador to Japan in January 2017.

The British diplomat, who studied at King's School in Ottery St Mary, has been talking to Japanese magazine InCider Japan, 'Japan's first and only bilingual magazine dedicated to all things cider', about Ottery St Mary's 'beautiful apple orchards' and the quality of Devon cider.

In an article written for InCider Japan HE Madden said: "I come from Devon, one of the most beautiful rural counties in the so-called West Country of the UK. It is an area famous for its cider production. I remember the beautiful apple orchards in my neighbourhood when I was growing up. So I was delighted to see that Japanese consumers are increasingly developing a taste for British-style cider.

"When I was young, my friends and I tended to prefer cider to beer. There is something particularly refreshing about a glass of chilled cider on a hot day. But, like beer, it's also enjoyable at room temperature in colder weather. In England it comes in many varieties, from sweet to dry.

"In the West Country, some farmers also produce their own 'scrumpy'. Scrumpy is traditonally rougher, drier and stronger than regular cider. It is what the farm workers used to drink in the field. Because of its strength, you can't drink it in such large quantities, but it is very tasty."

The ambassador goes on to suggest drinking cider with pork dishes, including Japanese dish tonkatsu, or pork cutlet.

If you would like to read the full article from HE Paul Madden, click the red button below.