It’s already reached the dizzy heights of being the biggest cider competition in the world, and we are thrilled to support it. The British Cider Championships is one of the highlights of the Royal Bath & West Show, and a fantastic mega-phone for the cider industry both home and abroad.
Whether traditional, farmhouse, organic, bottle-fermented, bottle-conditioned or “fruity”, the Championships covers them all, alongside classes for perry and apple juice. There are 16 gold, silver and bronze awards to win in addition to the ultimate ‘Supreme British Champion Cider’ cup and more!
Amongst this year’s judges were Helen Thomas, Chair of the National Association of Cider Makers & MD of Westons Cider; Andy Atkinson, founder of Cornish Orchards Cider and ‘Ciderland’ author James Crowden.
So, without further delay, please see the results (right).
Our cider industry isn’t just about fantastic ciders, it is as the National Association of Cider Makers says, “a great British success story”. Supporting rural communities and economies, employing 10,900 people (both directly and indirectly), and playing a vital role in the preservation of our orchards, its contribution should be celebrated. [Click here for the NACM’s infographic.]
Who wouldn’t want to shout about being an award winner of such a national award and being part of our cider industry? It seems a silly question but in my experience cider makers are really quite a modest bunch. They are skilled craftspeople who balance the responsibility of keeping our nation’s cider making heritage live and kicking, while developing their own unique and diverse brands and blends. They work hard and, quite frankly, they just get their heads down and get on with it! While chuffed to bits to be winners, not all will have the time, resources or budget to blow the trumpets. So, this blog post is for them in particular, and indeed all the winners and entrants of the British CiderChampionships.
Wassail, as they say!
PS This year the Championships launched the Bath & West International Cider Competition too. Click here for the international results. Congratulations to all the winners!
Published: Jun 2, 2017