Dec 19, 2025
Devon-based Sandford Orchards is celebrating a fantastic year of awards for its new non-alcoholic cider, Red Zero. It has just been named ‘Low and No Alcohol Category Champion’ by Taste of the West after winning Best Non-Alcoholic Cider at the World Cider Awards, Best New Drink at the Food Drink Devon Awards, Gold from The Farm Shop and Deli Awards and Silver from the Great British Food Awards.
Barny Butterfield, founder of Sandford Orchards comments: “Red Zero has had an outstanding first year, picking up a host of awards that recognise the hard work and dedication that we put into creating it. We started our alcohol-free journey several years ago and took our time to find the right way to make Red Zero. We wanted to produce a non-alcoholic alternative that was as good as our award-winning authentic cider and I think these accolades prove that we have achieved that!”
Red Zero (ABV 0.5%) is an utterly delicious, crisp and fruity non-alcoholic cider created from fabulous apple varieties including Farmers Glory, Dabinett and Sweet Alford. Made using traditional cider methods and the same technology used for Guinness Zero, you’re drinking the real fermented drink with the alcohol extracted. It is a fantastic alcohol free version of our best selling Devon Red with all the flavour but none of the alcohol.
Barny continues: “It’s not just awards that we have accumulated for Red Zero this year. We have also won the admiration of the public with 5 star reviews across the board and TV appearances and press recommendations that have all led to its first supermarket listing. It has been a whirlwind 12 months and, with the exponential growth in demand for exceptional non-alcoholic drinks, 2026 promises to be another exciting year for Red Zero!”
Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. The area has long been known as one of the most fertile parishes in all of Britain, both for its grazing and ability to grow apples. Crediton sits in the lee of the moors, so receives the right amount of rain and the right units of heat in summer.
Sandford Orchards takes a fresh, natural and low impact approach to producing cider. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards produces an award-winning range of core session, traditional, fine and fruit ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Sep 22, 2025
Devon-based Sandford Orchards has just installed 8 new 50,000 litre tanks ahead of a bumper harvest expected to be up to a third bigger than normal. They plan to increase production of their core ciders and create new varieties from this year’s exceptional apple haul.
Barny Butterfield, owner of award-winning Sandford Orchards comments: “Anyone with fruit trees in their garden is likely to be experiencing a record crop this year and we are no different. A mild spring and the sunniest summer for some time has left our trees groaning under the weight of fruit, and we’re looking forward to a harvest around a third bigger than last year. That’s around 4,000 tonnes of apples! In fact, it looks set to be the biggest harvest I have experienced in my lifetime as a cider maker!”
He continues: “ The very un-British weather has also meant that the apples are ripening ahead of schedule and were already beginning to drop in late August, so it’s all happening a lot earlier than normal. We don’t usually start harvesting our apples until early October but this year looks set to be different. All our fruit comes from local orchards so we are able to make regular checks on them to identify the optimum moment to harvest. Our inspections throughout the summer have already indicated that this year is set to be an epic harvest and in anticipation of that we have invested in eight new tanks which will increase our capacity by 400,000 litres.”
He finishes: “The extra hours of sunshine that the apples have enjoyed this year should also have boosted sugar levels, which means this could be the sweetest and largest harvest on record for us. With our newly increased capacity and these fantastic raw ingredients, we will be pressing 6 days a week from 5am until 9pm to produce more bottles of our much-loved ciders for next summer’s cider drinking. We will be pressing at least 70 different varieties and, amongst them, there are going to be a lot more of the rare apples that we have been identifying in our DNA mapping project. So we’ll be able to do some really interesting small batch blends with them too!”
Sandford Orchards takes a fresh, natural and low impact approach to producing cider. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards produces an award-winning range of core session, traditional, fine and fruit ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Nov 1, 2022
In 2002 Barny Butterfield began making cider in a shed. Fast forward 20 years and he is Chief Cidermaker and owner of Sandford Orchards, a business that produces over 7 million pints of cider per year, yet still retains Barny’s original vision, to produce the best tasting cider ‘done right’.
Barny Butterfield comments: “ In the beginning, cider making was really just a hobby but one that I seemed to have some talent for. It was also something that I was incredibly passionate about, right from the outset. Eventually, it was clear that either my hobby or my day job had to go and I made the decision to put all my efforts into Sandford Orchards. It is a decision that I have never regretted. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to create such a successful business doing something that I truly enjoy.”
In the early years, business growth was slow, as Barny navigated a steep learning curve with limited staff (mostly family and friends paid in cider) and equipment. However, producing top quality cider was always his focus and in 2010 he won CAMRA Champion Cider of Great Britain. This threw Sandford Orchards into the spotlight and this recognition gave Barny the confidence to invest in and expand the business.
The next step was to buy the Cider Works in Crediton and bring it back to life as the oldest working cider mill in the country. This enabled Sandford Orchards to increase capacity and establish itself as a serious player in the cider industry. Growth continued at a steady pace and then at the end of 2019, they made the strategic decision to invest heavily in a full rebrand. Alongside this, they expanded their packaging capability by setting up their own canning line, replacing their bottling line with brand new state of the art machinery and increasing automation in their kegging line.
Barny explains: “The last few years have seen the most rapid growth for the business. Having invested over £1.2 million in 2020 on our rebrand and new equipment, we can now produce 3,500 cans per hour and 6,000 bottles, so that we can supply more of our great tasting cider to more people. This means that, as well as being available in pubs, hospitality venues, off licences and independent shops, our cider has also now made it onto the shelves of high street retailers including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, Spar and The Co-op.”
Although the business, in some ways, has grown beyond all recognition from its humble beginnings in a lean-to on the farm, it still shares his original vision to create fantastic authentic cider. Over the years, Sandford Orchards’ cider has scooped a host of national and international awards that confirm that they are continuing to produce some of the best cider around. However, Barny is never one to rest on his laurels, he wants to ensure that generations to come can continue to enjoy award-winning cider, which is why he is working hard to protect orchards for the future and encourage the next cohort of real cider makers.
Barny elaborates: “They’ve been making real cider in the UK for over 2,000 years and I want to make sure that tradition continues. Recently, we’ve been working with Bristol University to map the DNA of ancient apple trees in our orchards, so we can identify vulnerable and unique varieties and protect them for the future. We also want to encourage the next batch of cider makers and have instigated The Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards, which offer aspiring cider makers advice, guidance and guaranteed listings in the on and off trade.”
Meanwhile, Sandford Orchards continues to grow at the fastest pace in its 20 year history. Barny adds: “ We are proud to still be an independent, family-owned business and we are in a really healthy place that allows us to reinvest in the business and our staff. We still press and ferment whole juice from the finest apples and age it to perfection to create fabulous cider. Our continued growth simply means more people get to enjoy it and that is exactly why I started making cider twenty years ago.”
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk
Sep 28, 2022
Devon’s Sandford Orchards, producer of authentic cider created by combining tradition and innovation, is thrilled to have won Gold at the World Cider Awards for Katja (ABV 8%), its Martinotti style fine sparkling cider.
Barny Butterfield, Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards comments: “We are absolutely thrilled to win this award. Katja is a crisp, modern, single varietal, sparkling cider, crafted from the Katy dessert apple. It has already scooped a number of awards and accolades, since we first produced it in 2021, but receiving this Gold World Cider Award is our proudest moment yet. Katja has beaten off ciders from around the globe to gain international recognition as a gold medallist in the modern carbonated cider category.”
The annual World Cider Awards 2022 judged over 100 ciders from more than 10 countries. An international and highly respected judging panel blind tasted and scored the entries to identify the best ciders in each category. Anita Ujszaszi, Awards Director, said: “The winners demonstrated that across the world, ciders are increasing in quality and innovation and we are very excited to see what’s in store for next year already.”
Katja is a single apple variety cider. Sandford Orchards presses the apples and ferments them cool with a white wine yeast to enhance its fresh and fragrant apple characteristics. Katy as an eating apple translates well into cider and creates an elegant sparkling-wine like drink, but with softer acidity. Bottled with a good fizz, Katja makes a beautiful alternative to Prosecco.
Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. The area has long been known as one of the most fertile parishes in all of Britain, both for its grazing and ability to grow apples. Crediton sits in the lee of the moors, so receives the right amount of rain and the right units of heat in summer. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards harnesses these natural assets to produce an award-winning range of core session, flavoured, traditional and fine ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk
Jun 10, 2022
Devon’s Sandford Orchards, producer of authentic cider created by combining tradition and innovation, is thrilled to have been awarded silver medals for all three of its vintage ciders at the International Cider Challenge 2022. The General, Sandford Reserve and Apple & Oak each received a silver medal at the prestigious awards.
Barny Butterfield, Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards comments: “We are absolutely delighted to receive silver medals for each of our vintage ciders at the International Cider Challenge, which is considered to be one of the most authoritative, respected and influential cider competitions in the world. We launched our vintage ciders last year after trialling more than forty different potential variations before whittling them down to these three, each of which boasts their own unique characteristics. We have been thrilled with our selection but it is always nice to know that the experts think they are pretty special too. These vintage ciders have now won an impressive haul of awards between them including a gold and silver at The World Cider Awards and a gold at the International Cider Awards.”
The General – Mighty Vat-Aged Cider (ABV 8.4%)
The General is the Imperial Stout of the vintage range. This super rich cider is bold and satisfying with the flavours of Seville orange, plum and baked apple. It is a superb complement to gamey meats or a fully-laden Sunday roast.
Sandford Reserve – Finest Cask-Aged Cider (ABV 7.4%)
Sandford Reserve is the ‘exhibition’ cider of this new range. Using the pick of the 2019 crop and matured in larger wine casks, Sandford Reserve drinks like a smooth, oaky, chardonnay with flavours of honey, Madeira and dried fruits. It’s the perfect partner to curry or spicy Asian food.
Apple & Oak – Fresh Oak-Finished Cider (ABV 6.7%)
‘Apple and Oak’, is a dry vintage cider aged in new oak barrels. It showcases youthful, ripe, bittersweet apple flavours which are complemented by hints of vanilla and toasty oak. The ideal accompaniment to a cheese ploughmans or cured meats, it’s the ‘cider nouveau’ of the collection.
The International Cider Challenge is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to reward and celebrate the diversity and range of varying styles of international cider. Ciders entered into the tasting categories are blind tasted by an expert panel of independent judges and assessed according to their taste, appearance and aroma.
Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. The area has long been known as one of the most fertile parishes in all of Britain, both for its grazing and ability to grow apples. Crediton sits in the lee of the moors, so receives the right amount of rain and the right units of heat in summer. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards harnesses these natural assets to produce an award-winning range of core session, flavoured, traditional and fine ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
