British cider makers launch Find Your Cider campaign for harvest 2026

British cider makers launch Find Your Cider campaign for harvest 2026

As harvest gets under way across British orchards, the UK cider industry is coming together behind Find Your Cider, a campaign backed by the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) that encourages cider drinkers, including those who only reach for a pint now and then, to explore the breadth of the category and discover new styles worth adding to their repertoire.

The campaign brings UK cider makers together to post shared messaging across three key dates this autumn: 25 September, National Apple Day on 21 October, and 13 November. Each date has its own focus, from the breadth of styles now available in the category, the apples that go into cider to the orchard teams and cider makers behind every bottle and pint.

Cider is one of the UK’s proudly homegrown drinks industries. More than 95% of the cider consumed in Britain is made here, making the UK the world’s largest cider market, worth £3.17 billion, according to Westons Cider Report data drawn from CGA, Circana and Kantar. Around 450 cider makers produce that cider, ranging from small family businesses to global exporters, and together support 65,000 jobs and £1.4 billion in wages across the UK, according to analysis by Oxford Economics.

Harvest is the busiest and most important time of the cider calendar. Cider makers work with more than 300 farmers across 14,500 acres of orchards grown specifically for cider, and every bottle starts with apples harvested and pressed at this time of year.

Pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants remain central to the category. Two-thirds of cider’s value is spent in the on-trade, and on-trade cider spend grew 3.1% last year, a sign of the role cider continues to play in supporting hospitality businesses in every part of the country.

Cider is in an exciting period of innovation, with growing interest in lower and no alcohol styles and new formats giving drinkers more ways to enjoy the category than ever before. Find Your Cider is designed to shine a light on that variety and encourage drinkers to explore it for themselves this autumn.

Martin Thatcher, Chair National Association Cider Makers, said:

“Cider is such a wide and varied category. It’s the skill of the cider maker that turns a humble apple into such a broad range of tastes and styles. Find Your Cider is about encouraging people to try something different this autumn and discover ciders that suit far more drinking occasions than they might expect.”

Mark Hopper, Public Affairs Director at the National Association of Cider Makers, said:

“Cider already reaches a huge range of drinkers, but there’s real scope for people to enjoy it on more occasions, not just the ones where they might automatically reach for it. Find Your Cider is about showing how varied the category has become, from crisp and refreshing styles right through to something richer and more complex.”

Find Your Cider is a consumer campaign backed by UK cider makers, running throughout autumn 2026 with coordinated activity on 25 September, National Apple Day (21 October) and 13 November. Follow the campaign on social media using #FindYourCider.

Find Your Cider assets and campaign details are available here https://cideruk.com/find-your-cider/

30 years for the Big Apple!

30 years for the Big Apple!

12th and 13th October 2019

Harvestime 2019 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Big Apple, a community event celebrating apples, orchards and cider and all the ways in which they have shaped the landscape in one small corner of Herefordshire.

Nine venues in and around Much Marcle will be offering visitors the chance to learn, taste and enjoy.  Cider and perry and making will be taking place at all scales from cottage style to fully commercial, and the producers will be sharing their knowledge and offering plenty of opportunities to sample and buy.

An amazing range of dessert and cooking apples will be on display for tasting at the Feast of Apples at Hellens and less well-known varieties can be purchased in the Apple Market.  Marcher Apple Network will be on hand to help anyone hoping to identify their own apples.

As part of the 30th celebrations, there will be two talks at Hellens on Sunday 13th October.  At 12 noon, local fruit grower, Norman Stanier, will be delving into the early records of the Woolhope Naturalists‘ Field Club to discover the stories behind the famous Herefordshire Pomona.  At 2pm, Professor Paul Hadley of the University of Reading will be talking about ‘Apples in a Warmer World’, ongoing research looking ahead to the possible impact of climate change on future UK apple production.

Marking growing international interest in orchards, sustainability and tourism, the Big Apple is proud to be part of Ciderlands, a network of cider tourism destinations across Europe whose aim is to preserve and celebrate the heritage and environment surrounding cider culture.  The Ciderlands 2019 conference will be taking place in Herefordshire this week and what could be more natural for delegates than a visit to the Big Apple?

A full programme of events can be found at www.bigapple.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigappleherefordshire