Good morning cider fans – it’s COMPETITION TIME!
We are now in the height of the apple harvest and it provides the opportunity to take some great photographs.
We want you to show off your artistic skills by capturing the essence of the apple harvest in one photo. The best photo wins a mixed case of cider from NACM members.
Send in your photos to photo@cideruk.com to be in with a chance to win!
Deadline is Monday 31st October
18 + only
Wassail!
The National Association of Cider Makers and (NACM) the All Party Parliamentary Cider Group (APPCG) hosted its Autumn reception at Westminster last night. The event showcased the diversity of ciders available in the marketplace and the strong focus on innovation, in what is a highly dynamic category.
As well as highlighting the NACM’s support for all cider makers, big and small, the Reception also underlined the cider industry’s continued commitment to its local communities and the rural economy. The event was a great success, with over 150 people from across Government and the wider drinks industry, in attendance.
Delivering the keynote speech was Helen Thomas, Managing Director of Westons Cider, who takes over the Chair of the NACM for the second time, having previously held the role from 2005 – 2007. She follows Martin Thatcher who has been in post since 2014.
Recalling her last stint as Chair, Helen noted the changes in the dynamics of the cider industry over the last decade, remarking how the rapid volume increase back then has been impacted upon in later years by the introduction of the duty escalator.
Helen, continued, however, to highlight that the cider industry remains resolute in its support for great British cider makers. She said, ‘The most important messages shared in 2007 are all still as relevant today. Our long term, sustainable industry is still down to the way that we work, pulling together for the greater good of UK cider producers as a whole. Investment in our communities remains at the heart of the cider industry and nearly 2,000 people who we employ across our rural communities are critical to our success. A further 9,000 jobs, from companies and individuals providing us with goods and services, exist because of the cider industry.’
Reflecting on the need to pull together as an industry, Helen discussed the significant changes made by the NACM in the last 12 months, which includes a full time team to now run the Association. The launch of the new website was the first visible evidence of a shift in focus to a broader communication on the great British cider industry, and the wonderful diversity of ciders here in the UK.
Helen summed up the mood of the evening. She said, ‘This reception is a celebration of everything that we have achieved in nearly a decade as an industry and of our wonderful history and heritage going back centuries. Most crucially it demonstrates our commitment to supporting great British Cider Makers.
The National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) and the Crown Inn at Woolhope, Herefordshire, have combined to create some truly mouthwatering recipes that have cider and perry at their core.
As we are now in the midst of the harvest, it provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the versatility of cider and perry as ingredients, and demonstrate that recipes can go beyond staple classics such as pork and cider.
The award-winning Crown Inn not only produces fantastic food, but is regarded as one of the best cider houses in Herefordshire.They even make their own cider and perry, appropriately called ‘King’s’.
Matt Slocombe, proprietor at the Crown Inn regularly uses cider and perry in his dishes and is a passionate advocate for using local products. ‘Cider and perry provide flavours, aromas and textures that no other drink can. They are integral ingredients for many of the dishes we create, specifically chosen from the wealth of local producers on my doorstep.’
Head Chef at the Crown, Dave Brewin, has created 3 dishes exclusively for the NACM website: Halibut with trompet mushroom & sweet perry sauce; Pigeon breast, black pudding, beef dripping fried bread & cider demi-glace; and Salt beef with reduced cider.
Gabe Cook, Communications Officer for the NACM is suitably impressed with the results. ‘I am lucky enough to have tried these three dishes and they are absolutely exquisite! They really show how, with a bit of skill and creativity, cider and perry can be the star of the show.’
These new recipes, alongside many existing ones, can be found at www.cideruk.com
Westons Stowford Press Cider is unveiling a refreshed design for its cans, bottles and glassware to reinforce the authenticity of the brand. The updated packaging forms part of Westons £2.5m investment into the brand this year
The new design has been applied across Stowford Press’ pint and half-pint glasses as well as its 500ml bottles and cans. It features the brand’s new strapline of ‘100% local home-pressed apples’, which aired for the first time in the summer in its latest TV ad. The packaging also now utilises a new watermarked tumbling-apple design as well as an updated, more authentic-looking, gold-coloured apple icon. The words ‘Herefordshire since 1880’ now feature on the glassware, reinforcing the provenance of the Westons brand.
The new glassware has significantly changed and now uses gold leaf in both a band around the glass and the newly-designed apple icon. The shape of the glassware has also returned to one of the brand’s original glass shapes as well as featuring the brand’s new strapline of ‘100% local home-pressed apples’. Both the glassware and packaging designs were created by Cheltenham-based agency Brand on Shelf (BoS).
Sally McKinnon, Head of Brands at Westons Cider, says: “We are really excited to be unveiling our updated packaging, which features our new strapline of ‘100% local home-pressed apples’ and reminds consumers that all apples used in Stowford Press Cider are locally sourced to the Westons Cider Mill in Herefordshire.
“The new water-marked tumbling-apple design and more authentic-looking gold apple icon reinforce the authenticity of the brand while also giving a nod to the premiumisation of the brand, which is now the third largest draught apple cider brand in the UK on-trade, worth £76.5m.”
Life too busy to keep up to speed with cider news? Never fear, the NACM is here!
We’ve done the hard work for you and provided a roundup of cider news from September. Enjoy!
The National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) proudly unveils its new website today, further underlining its reputation as the authority on all cider matters and promoting #greatbritishciders.
A visit to www.cideruk.com provides an even greater depth of information than before, now presented in a more accessible and interactive format. The new website also reflects the changes in the NACM over the last 12 months, with full time employees ensuring the organisation is a more visible, relevant and effective organisation.
Martin Thatcher, Chairman of the NACM, said, ‘This new website provides the perfect platform for the NACM to tell cider’s unique story. We are an industry with a rich history, a proud heritage and tradition, but we are incredibly relevant.’
He goes on,’ Cider makers are critical to the rural communities in which they operate, through employment, apple growing and affiliated services. Cider makers’ continued investment and innovation make an important contribution to the future of these communities.’
The website showcases the role and importance of apple varieties, the cider making process and the differences between cider and perry. Cider and food matching, a growing trend, is explored, with suggestions provided on pairing the perfect cider for any meal.
The cider category is incredibly innovative and diverse, with a cider for every occasion, whether that be a crisp and refreshing thirst-quencher, a bold and rich cider for the fireside, a dry sparkling cider for celebration, or a fruity cider to match with a piece of strong cheese.
The breadth and scope of the new website is greater than ever before. ‘The NACM is now in a position to advocate this fantastic drink to a wider audience, including the drinks trade and the consumer’, explains NACM Communications Officer, Gabe Cook. He continues,’ We continue to be the authority on all cider matters, but now with an active news page, Twitter and Facebook accounts we can spread the word even more effectively on #greatbritishciders.’
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