When you think of awards, you are probably thinking of trophies and accolades but, much as we love winning those, we realised some time ago that our industry needed something quite different. We launched the Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards at the end of 2019 with the aim of supporting the future of cider making in the UK and, although there is a physical award that we hand over, the rewards for entering go far beyond expanding the trophy cabinet.
Why we set up the Awards
Barny was the driving force behind the awards. He wanted to give something back to the industry that he loves and he wanted to ensure that fledgling cider makers, who share his passion for real cider, were given the support they need to thrive. The awards recognise and celebrate excellent quality whole juice ciders from around the UK. More importantly, it is an opportunity for emerging producers to get a helping hand in a very tough business, with the winner benefitting from an invaluable package of guidance, vouchers to spend with suppliers and opportunities to have their cider sold by new retailers and venues.
Entering the Awards
Unlike many awards, the Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards are free to enter. They are open to cider makers producing between 3,000 and 50,000 litres of cider or perry per year. Applicants simply need to complete an online form providing details about their company and the cider that best represents them. After the 31st January closing date, eligible entrants are then asked to send in a sample of their cider for the judges to consider, alongside their background information. These are judged by a panel of industry experts including renowned cider maker Tom Oliver, Gabe Cook, The Ciderologist an independent, global cider expert and Mary Topp who runs her family cider business, New Forest Cider and has been instrumental in introducing Londoners to the joys of cider as director of The London Cider House in Borough Market.
Prizes Worth Their Weight in Gold
The winners will be announced in May 2025 with two silver and one overall winner named, but there are real, tangible benefits for all entrants. As part of their commitment to supporting small producers, everyone who enters receives personalised, practical and actionable feedback which taps into the judges’ combined vast knowledge of cider making. The overall winners will also enjoy a visit from Sandford Orchards’ cider makers to offer practical help and advice and they will work with the team to produce a Sandford Orchards’ collaboration limited edition cider.
All three of the winners will have their cider stocked at Darts Farm, a unique lifestyle shopping destination in Devon and sold on this website. The winning cider will also be stocked at their local Stable pizza restaurant and at The London Cider House. These are fantastic opportunities for them to get their cider into the hands and minds of a whole new audience.
There are some monetary prizes too with the two runners up receiving a £200 voucher from liquid packaging specialists, Bag In Box Shop UK and the winner receiving a £500 voucher to spend with Vigo, one of the UK’s leading producers of drink equipment and consumables.
The Winners
Andy Jenkins from Ganley and Naish, previous winners of the award, was thrilled with the amazing prizes that he won but he was also keen to point out some tangible benefits that he hadn’t anticipated. He felt that having peer approval was hugely validating and being in the exclusive winners’ club was something that he would cherish forever. That club currently includes Thornborough Cider and Moons Cider and we are looking forward to announcing the fourth member next May. In the meantime, you can acquaint yourself with fabulous cider from promising new cider makers by heading to their websites and trying their award-winners for yourself or you could try Orchard Moon the Sandford Orchards’ collaboration with winners Moons Cider.
Supporting the Next Generation of Cider Makers and Lovers
If you have already discovered your own cider makers of the future, be sure to give them a nudge to enter the 2025 Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards. It can be really daunting trying to get started in our industry but there is a hugely talented pool of emerging cider makers in the UK and we are keen to support their development in order to secure the future of quality cider enjoyment for generations to come.
