SOMERSET is synonymous with cider. And in May, the county will host Britain’s biggest cider competition.
The Royal Bath & West Show will host the British Cider Championships between May 29 and 31 – and entries are now open.
A total of 18 classes will see cider of all kinds judged – from traditional farmhouse ciders to bottle-fermented and keeved ciders, fruit ciders and single variety ciders, as well as perry and apple juice, while a Newcomers Award will honour fresh starters in the industry.
The championships will be the centrepiece of the Orchards and Cider Exhibition at the show, which will also feature the popular People’s Choice, where members of the public get the chance to sample and judge previous competition winners, as well as a wide range of other cider-related trade stands and entertainment.
Orchards and Cider chief steward, Ross Mangles, of North Down Orchard at Haselbury Plucknett, said he was hoping for entries to exceed last year’s tally of 450.
“These are exciting times in the cider world, with new makers springing up all over the place,” he said. “Many are in the traditional cider growing areas like the West Country, but we are also seeing new businesses starting as far away as the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and we are particularly keen to encourage cider-makers from these areas to enter so that the full spectrum of quality British cider-making is represented.
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“Last year’s farmhouse cider champion came from Nottinghamshire, which shows that you don’t need to come from Somerset or Hereford to be a champion.
“Bear in mind as well that, even if a cider or perry isn’t a class-winner, it can still be awarded a gold, silver or bronze award, based on its intrinsic quality, which can be a major asset in marketing terms.”
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