The international angle, a scion exchange, plus cider and cheese matching are three new elements joining classic sessions like Cider Doctor (pictured above) and the infamous bottle share at CraftCon 2024, the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association’s annual trade conference, taking place at the Royal Agricultural University, 5-6 April 2024. The fourth edition of the highly anticipated conference will gather the UK’s leading craft cider producers, with 35 speakers presenting on topics covering orcharding, cidermaking and business development. CraftCon is the only industry-facing educationa ..read more

Albert Johnson of Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company and Lydia Crimp of Artistraw Cider [Photo: Rebecca Fletcher] Craft cider and perry producers around the country stand to gain as Albert Johnson of Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company, and Lydia Crimp of Artistraw Cider, are elected to the top two roles at the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association (TCCPA). “It is a privilege to chair the largest membership association of small cidermakers in the UK,” said fourth generation cidermaker Albert. “My father, Mike, was a founding member of the TCCPA, so to continue the legacy is very sp ..read more

Cider makers across the country are celebrating Apple Day on 21st October. It’s an extra special Apple Day this year as they are able to announce that it’s been a perfect year for cider apples, resulting in a bumper crop of beautifully ripened apples, ready to be pressed into one of the nation’s favourite drinks. The National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), which represents the industry, has declared 2023 the year of the cider apple, with the conditions for the orchards meaning the cider made this year will be particularly special. Cider apples, so woven into our heritage, with names like ..read more

Cider presses are gearing up for action in a corner of Herefordshire, and Big Apple venues are standing by to welcome visitors to the Marcle Ridge on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October.  The apple harvest will be in full swing – no matter which way you turn in Much Marcle, apples are everywhere!  Not to mention pears – perry pears of course. Nine familiar Big Apple venues, including Woodredding, Lyne Down, Pope’s Perry, Hellens, Gregg’s Pit and Awnells Farm, alongside regular attractions at Westons Cider, are waiting to welcome visitors to enjoy the orchards, see, hear and smell cider ..read more

Pictured: Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Chair of APPCG and David Sheppy, Chair of NACM Newly elected chair of the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), David Sheppy, called for a freeze in excise duty until at least 2025 in his inaugural speech at the All-Party-Parliamentary Cider reception in Westminster this week. More than 120 cider makers, MPs and those connected to the cider industry gathered to celebrate the importance of the most traditional of UK drinks. Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, chair of the APPCG, opened the event, reminding those present of the importance of cider making across man ..read more

Cider makers welcomed more than 200 guests to their Orchard and Machinery Day, held in Newent, Gloucestershire. The event provides a unique opportunity each year for the cider industry to thank those who work so hard growing apples for them and to celebrate the importance of British grown cider apples. The day was opened by James Crampton, National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) Chair and Corporate Affairs Director at HEINEKEN UK. He thanked Edward Keene, of Michael H Keene and Sons Ltd and the team at Moat Farm, Newent, for hosting the event and welcoming such a large group of growers. Ja ..read more

Pictured:  Sir Bill Wiggin MP, Member of Parliament for North Herefordshire and President of the All-Party Parliamentary Cider Group The success of British cider in the global market was celebrated this week by over 30 MPs in Westminster. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of World Cider Day, the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) held the event where MPs were given an opportunity to sample the wide range of ciders made by Great British cider makers. MPs joined thousands of cider enthusiasts around the world to raise a glass in celebration of cider.  As the largest global cid ..read more

Thatchers Cider unveils a new TV commercial this week (Thursday 25th May 2023), which sees the Somerset cider maker collaborate with Bristol based, multi-Academy Award®-winning studio Aardman. Airing for the first time on TV at 9.15pm on 25th May, the commercial uses Aardman’s stop motion animation technique to bring the viewer through the gates of Thatchers’ own Myrtle Farm home. We see how the family cider maker’s dedication along every step of the way achieves Pint-Sized Perfection. Aardman uses its world-class skills in perfectly crafted hand-made miniature worlds to bring Thatchers ..read more

A week of cider celebration is going to be held in the first ever British Cider Week, running from 14th to 23rd April 2023. Cider makers up and down the country will be taking part, from small micro-businesses to household names, from start-ups to those with many generations of heritage. Martin Berkeley, founder of Pilton Cider, who is getting involved with the celebrations, says, “Spring is a fantastic time to be celebrating cider. When we’re all enjoying warmer weather, there’s no better time to enjoy the delights of this amazing drink. “It’s the perfect opportunity for cider makers to come ..read more

The Worshipful Company of Coopers is one of the 110 livery companies in the City of London.  Many livery companies trace their histories back to medieval guilds established to regulate a craft or trade. Coopers were responsible for cask-making, a cask being a generic word for all sizes of such wooden containers, of which a barrel is one. Others include pins and firkins. There is a so-called order of precedence amongst livery companies and the Coopers’ Company is 36th out of the 110, reflecting its history in that it received its first Royal Charter in 1501, with the earliest record of its ..read more