Open Menu

28th March, 2018

This year’s British Cider Championships, at the Royal Bath and West Show (May 30 to June 2) will feature a new competition aimed at newcomers to cider-making and other micro-producers, defined as those producing less than 2,500 litres a year.

The ‘Cider Newcomer Award’ is the brainchild of Master Cider-Maker and Chief Steward of the Orchards and Cider exhibition at the Show, Bob Chaplin.

One of the most encouraging features of the current cider scene is the number of people who are having a crack at making cider for the first time, or are just making a small quantity each year, for family and friends”, he says.

What we suspect is that at least some of these embryonic ventures have the potential to develop and grow into fully-fledged commercial businesses, so adding to the range and variety of British cider.

Being able to test the quality of their products in competition against other makers could be very useful in that process, but for a micro-producer or a newcomer to have to compete against established cider-makers with years of experience and knowledge behind them is bound to be fairly daunting. So hence the Cider Newcomer Award. Besides the fun of competing, entrants will all get written feedback from our team of professional judges to help steer them in the right direction, and we are looking forward to getting lots and lots of entries.

We are delighted to have been able to recruit Vigo Presses of Dunkeswell as sponsors of the class, and it will be their trophy which is presented to the winners on May 31, together with a £100 voucher for their cider-making equipment.

Full details of the Cider Newcomer award, and entry forms, are available on the British Cider Championships website, under Competitive Entries.

Entries close on April 17.

Click here to purchase your tickets for the Royal Bath & West Show at our fantastic super saver rate (available until 6th April 2018)!

« Back to News