Aspall scoops top prize at Quality Drink Awards

23 May 2011: The multi award-winning cyder Aspall Premier Cru has won another award, this time scooping first prize in the cider category at the Quality Drink Awards 2011.

This latest win adds to Aspall Premier Cru’s portfolio of more than a dozen accolades since its launch in 2000, with other notable awards including the recent title of World’s Best Cider, which the cyder won for the last two consecutive years of the award.

Like all Aspall cyders, Premier Cru is hand-crafted from a complex blend of both bitter-sweet and culinary apples, which has been handed down through eight generations of the Chevallier family since 1728. To this day, the family still signs-off every single batch of cyder before it is bottled, to ensure that quality remains first and foremost. 

The annual Quality Drinks Awards are renowned throughout the industry for their rigorous and stringent judging process. Entries are judged against a set of criteria which include quality of product, appearance, taste, ingredients list, pricing, and packaging.  

The judges, who are all long-standing drinks experts, praised the cyder’s “good balance between dryness and fruit,” and added: “It’s a very drinkable cider [which is] easily worth 10p a bottle more than some other ciders. Premier Cru is clean-tasting, drinkable and dry, with good carbonation levels.”    

Aspall commercial director, Geoff Bradman, says: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious award, especially given the high level and calibre of other cider brands to have entered the awards. Quality will always come first and foremost for Aspall, and this is recognised in this latest award win.”  

A range of Aspall Suffolk Cyder is available at selected on-trade outlets, as well as from most leading supermarkets. All Aspall cyders should be chilled (but not served over ice) for the perfect serve.

Premium ciders now account for 20% of the total cider market, double their share of the category compared to a decade ago. Aspall is driving development of the category, with its on-trade business growing at 70% year-on-year. The cider maker has a number of new product development plans in the pipeline which will be revealed over the coming months. 

ENDS

Notes for editors:

• Aspall produces a range of award-winning cyders, vinegars and apple juice.

·         In the UK, Aspall produces and distributes Aspall Premier Cru Suffolk Cyder, Organic Suffolk Cyder, Draught Suffolk Cyder and Perronelle’s Blush. The   Draught and Perronelle’s Blush variants are available in both keg and bottled format.

·         As well as the UK, Aspall Suffolk Cyder is available in the Australian, French and Irish markets.

• The company sources the majority of its apples from local Suffolk orchards and works with the region’s apple growers to ensure long-term sustainability.

·         Aspall has also recently launched a new range of premium vinegars as well as the new Aspall 100% Fresh Pressed English Apple Juice.

• For more on the Quality Drink Awards, visit www.qualitydrinkawards.com

For more information, please contact Jo Grobel at Exact PR, at or 0844 847 9447 or 07881 782262. 

print version