Almost 300 ciders from across the country have been entered for the British Cider Championships at the Bath and West Country Festival (August 27-29) as the artisan cider sector looks to bounce back from the uncertainty and disruption of COVID.
“Under all the circumstances and especially when you consider all of the other issues that cider-makers are having to grapple with at present, this is a superb entry and a remarkable tribute to the standing of the British Cider Championships,” said Anthony Gibson, chairman of the Orchards and Cider Exhibition at the festival.
“We have reduced the number of classes, in order to keep things as simple as possible in these complicated times, but we have had more than enough ciders entered to be sure that the winners will genuinely be the best ciders in the country.”
The number of entries in each class is as follows:
Giving a grant total of 299 entries!
The British Cider Championships will be judged as part of the Orchards and Cider exhibition, which is being staged in the Sedgemoor Building on the showground so as to maximise the space available. Judging will take place on the first day, with the winners being announced and prizes presented at 5pm.
Members of the public will be welcome to watch the judging and will be able both to sample a wide range of some of the finest artisan ciders at the Orchards and Cider bar, and to have a go at judging ciders for themselves, at ‘The People’s Choice’ feature.
The top prize – the Fruiterers’ Trophy for the Champion British Cider – has been re-named the ‘Rupert Best Trophy for the Champion British Cider’ as a tribute to Orchards and Cider’s founding chairman, Rupert Best, who sadly died earlier this year.
Tickets for the Bath and West Country Festival are on sale now and more information is available online at www.bathandwest.com.
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