Sandford Orchards Celebrates British Cider Week by Launching New Limited Edition High Tides Cider in Collaboration With Ganley & Naish

In celebration of British Cider Week (25th April - 5th May), Devon-based Sandford Orchards is launching a brand new cider, which was created in collaboration with Somerset's Ganley & Naish as part of their prize for winning the Breakthrough Cider Makers Awards 2023. 

The new limited edition High Tides Cider (ABV 5%) will be available in 500ml bottles from Sandford Orchards, Ganley & Nash and selected retail outlets.

Ganley & Naish x Sandford Orchards High Tide (ABV 5%, 500ml bottles, RRP £2.75) is crafted from a blend of wild-fermented early bittersweets and Browns apples. This medium cider marries the signature characteristics of Ganley & Naish and Sandford Orchards to create a beautifully balanced cider. 

Barny Butterfield, Chief Cider Maker at Sandford Orchards comments: “High Tides is a lovely cider that really incorporates both makers' styles into the bottle. The apples really shine in this blend. Browns bring acidity, Dabinetts bring tannins on the finish and the vintage bittersweet apples help to give the cider tonnes of body and structure.”

The chance to work with the team at Sandford Orchards to produce a collaboration limited edition cider was part of Ganley & Naish's prize for winning the 2023 Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards. 

These awards, set up in 2019 by Sandford Orchards to support emerging producers, recognise and celebrate excellent quality whole juice ciders from around the UK. The winners also benefit from an invaluable package of guidance, vouchers to spend with suppliers and opportunities to have their cider sold by new retailers and venues. 

Andy Jenkins, Chief Cidermaker at Ganley & Naish comments: “It has been a fantastic experience to see how a cider maker with the same ethos produces and packages cider on a much larger scale. Working alongside the team at Sandford Orchards, we carefully blended Sandford, Ganley and Naish cider to achieve the perfect balance. This has been an eye-opening experience—one that I will take back to our cidery to help us improve and refine our craft.”

Ganley & Naish Cider was founded in a back garden in  2011 by two friends, Steve and Andy and has been steadily growing ever since. They champion sustainability, organic, provenance and terroir and their ciders are all vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. They proudly display all the ingredients on their labels with all their ciders containing at least 90% juice.

Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. They take 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.

British Cider Week celebrates the depth and diversity of British cider. The week features events across the country hosted by a wide range of producers, from new young startups to traditional producers with generations of heritage. (More on British Cider Week later.)

For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on X, Facebook and Instagram. For more information on Ganley & Naish please visit www.ganleyandnaish.co.uk. For more information on British Cider Week please visit www.britishciderweek.org.uk.

Ganley & Naish Wins Unique Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards 2023

The results are now in for this year's Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards and the 2023 gold winner is Ganley & Naish with silvers being awarded to Palmers Upland Cyder and Tinston Wines and Cider. 

The Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards, now in their third year, are truly remarkable awards that offer aspiring cider makers advice, guidance and guaranteed listings in the on and off trade and offering genuine support of the future of cider in the UK.

Barny Butterfield, who is the Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards and founder of the awards comments: ”After the success of last year's competition, we were genuinely thrilled and pleased to see even more interest in the awards this year. 

"We had a total of 24 entries, from counties all across the UK, with all styles of cider represented. Naturally sweet to single variety, session ciders to bottle fermented ciders. The judges were so impressed with the quality of all of the ciders that were entered, which is a real compliment to the standard of cider now being produced all over the UK.”

The esteemed panel of judges included renowned drinks writer, Pete Brown, cider producer and director of The Cider House London, Mary Topp, 2020 Masterchef Professionals winner, Alex Webb, food and drink editor for Hearst Magazines, Emma Franklin and Sandford Orchards' very own Barny Butterfield.

Ganley & Naish's winning cider, Hell and High Water (ABV 5.5%) is a single variety, Browns apple cider in a 440ml can. A medium dry, sparkling cider that the judges described as unique, beautiful, impressive and drinkable. 

They described it as: “ This is a crisp and gently complex cider with a lovely sweetness to acid balance. Ridiculously moreish, light on the palate -fault free, an amazing single variety with an apple notoriously difficult to nail down! The branding is sensational, breaks the mould and brings a contemporary and classic feel to an amazing drink.”

Andy Jenkins at Ganley & Naish was delighted to receive the gold award and commented: “To get this cider out had been very trying; COVID, new packing type, new branding, new artwork, working with new people and building those relationships. So to win this award, with a product I'm incredibly proud of, has made it even more special and more rewarding.”

Ganley & Naish's impressive prize package includes a £500 Vigo voucher, a listing at their local Stable Pizza, a listing at The London Cider House, a Sandford Orchards collaboration limited edition cider and a visit by Sandford Orchards' cider makers to offer practical help and advice about setting up.

The gold and silver winners will all receive mentoring from Sandford Orchards' cider makers, a yearlong listing at Devon's Darts Farm and a listing on www.sandfordorchards.co.uk. In addition, the silver winners both receive a £200 voucher from Bag in Box Shop UK

Barny went on to say: “The Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards are nothing like any other cider competition. It's the competition I wish I could have entered and won when I was starting out. Without a budget, without much help and support it can be really daunting trying to get started in any career, let alone cider making!

"It feels great to be able to give something back to the industry that has given me so much. This is an award with the kind of bankable bonus that doesn't grow on trees! We're really keen to ensure all these cider makers go on to fulfil their part in our quest to bring the joy of cider to as many people as we possibly can!”

He went on to say: "Sandford Orchards would like to thank the generous sponsors of this year's competition: Vigo Ltd who are providing a £500 voucher for the gold winner, The Stable and The London Cider House who are giving the gold winner a listing and The Bag in Box Shop who are giving away £200 vouchers to the two silver winners.

"The Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards were launched by Sandford Orchards at the end of 2019 and aim to recognise and celebrate excellent quality whole juice ciders from around the UK. For further information on the Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk/cider-awards or follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and  Instagram. For more information on Ganely & Naish visit www.ganleyandnaish.co.uk