Devon cider and Herefordshire perry voted best in the country!

CAMRA announces the results of the National Cider and Perry Championships

Green Valley Farmhouse Vintage Cyder, produced in Exeter by Green Valley Cyder, and Gregg’s Pit Perry, produced by Gregg’s Pit Cider and Perry in Herefordshire, have won the Gold Awards at CAMRA’s National Cider and Perry Championships held at the Reading Beer and Cider Festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

The best ciders and perrys in Britain were sampled over two days by judges at the festival. The judging panel described the winning Green Valley Farmhouse Vintage Cyder as having “a lovely ‘proper cider’ aroma, like an Autumn morning. It was easy drinking with a pleasant lingering aftertaste.”

Chris Coles, of Green Valley Cyder said, “We are over the moon about this award. We didn’t expect to be on the rostrum again. It’s a great accolade for the orchard in Woodbury Salterton, where the apples came from, because it was this same orchard which won us bronze last year. We must be doing something right!”

Gregg’s Pit Perry, produced by Herefordshire based Gregg’s Pit Cider and Perry, won the national Gold Award for best perry.

The judges described the winning perry as “A balance of citrus aroma with a winey aftertaste. Fabulous.”

James Marsden, of Gregg’s Pit Cider & Perry said, “We are delighted to have won this accolade from CAMRA whose members have been great supporter of our products over the last 14 years. It’s a tribute to the quality of the fruit we use, the care we devote to our perry making and to the wonderful lady who taught us much of what we know now – Jean Nowell, the former owner of Lyne Down.”

Full Results:
Gold Cider Winner – Green Valley Farmhouse Vintage Cyder (Devon)
Silver Cider Winner – West Croft Janet’s Jungle Juice (Somerset)
Bronze Cider Winner – Blaengawney Cider (Gwent)

Gold Perry Winner – Gregg’s Pit Perry (Herefordshire)
Silver Perry Winner – Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry (Herefordshire)
Bronze Perry Winner – Hartland’s Perry (Gloucestershire)

Phil Kempton, CAMRA’s Director for Cider said, “I would like to congratulate all of the producers that won awards at CAMRA’s National Cider & Perry Championships. Britain is currently producing a superb variety of real ciders and perrys and I would urge anyone who has perhaps tried a mass-produced fizzy cider or perry in the past to try a drop of the real stuff. You will not find anything better and will not be disappointed!”

Chris Coles has been making cider at Darts Farm since 1989 and sources his fruit from several small local cider apple growers around Devon. The business is now integrated into the Darts Farm complex and has a thriving trade. The winning cider is produced using typical old Devon varieties from one particular orchard.

James Marsden bought Gregg’s Pit in 1992 and made his first perry there in 1994. The Gregg’s Pint name refers not just to the small holding itself, but also to a local variety of perry pear tree, in fact the original tree is over 250 years old and is still present in the home orchard at Gregg’s Pit. The winning perry is a blend of three pears, including a proportion of Gregg’s Pit pears.

Real cider is a long-established traditional drink which is produced naturally from apples and is neither carbonated nor pasteurised. As cider is made from apples, perry is made from perry pears, which tend to be smaller and harder then dessert pears.

As the fruit ripens throughout September and October, it is milled and pressed. The juice is then left to ferment and mature until April/May when it ready to drink.

More information on the CAMRA’s Cider and Perry campaign can be found on www.camra.org.uk/cider