All posts tagged: cider festivals

Going to a cider event? Tell us about it!

2 Comments 24th May 2010

Over the next week cider lovers have no less than 8 exciting regional cider events to get yourself along to.

Represented from Suffolk in the East, to South Wales in the West, to Newark in the North(ish). There are some really talented cider and perry producers coming to the forefront, some for the first time this year. You’ll be able to taste a wide range of local ciders and perries to the event, and maybe even meet the producers themselves – at events just like the ones below.

Here on the Real Cider community, we are getting more and more interest from a wide range of cider drinkers. However, some are not sure where to start, so why not share your experiences of your next cider event with us!

Would you like to review the cider event that you are going to?

We’d love to be able to share your experiences with other like-minded cider fans, virgins to old-timers.. Don’t be shy! We are just looking for a few paragraphs about the event, your favourite ciders, and anything else. If you have photos that would really bring the article to life.

Read the recent Hove cider festival review to get an idea of what we’ve written about from previous cider events.

Essex

The Chappel Cider Festival

  • When 4 – 7 Jun 2010
  • Where CO6 2DS
  • Description Up to 70 types of cider. Entrance is free. At the Anglian railway Museum www.earm.co.uk

Hampshire

Southampton Beer & Cider Festival

  • When 3 – 5 Jun 2010
  • Where Southampton Guildhall, Southampton
  • Description www.shantscamra.org.uk/beerfestivals/sbf2010 Features the first outing of 146 Cider, plus others!!

Nottinghamshire

Newark Beer & Cider Festival

  • When 28 – 30 May 2010
  • Where Riverside Park in the shadow of Newark Castle.
  • Description Since the first festival in 1996, it has become a major attraction drawing both the enthusiast and the inquisitive to the banks of the River Trent to enjoy great music, good food and, of course, an amazing selection of cask conditioned beers and ciders www.newarkcamra.org.uk/festival/cider.htm

Northamptonshire

Newark Beer & Cider Festival

  • When 27 – 29 May 2010
  • Where Delapré Abbey
  • Description The Northamptonshire Beer Festival (also known as the Delapré Abbey Beer Festival) is organised jointly by the Northants branch of CAMRA and the Friends of Delapré Abbe www.northantscamra.org.uk

Suffolk

Dove Street Inn Beer Festival, Ipswich

  • When 26 – 31 May 2010
  • Where The Dove Street Inn, 76 St. Helens St, Ipswich, IP4 2LA (map)
  • Description 60+ beers, milds & Ciders see www.dovestreetinn.co.uk

South Wales

Welsh cider and perry festival at The Clytha Arms

  • When 29 – 31 May 2010
  • Where The Clytha Arms
  • Description Taste over 70 different types of cider and perries www.welshcider.co.uk Near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, South Wales. Address and Directions from:www.clytha-arms.com / Tel: 01873 840 206

Somerset

Cider and Perry show at Bath and West show, Shepton Mallet

  • When 4 – 6 Jun 2010
  • Where Bath and west showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
  • Description The biggest cider competition in the country takes place in the Orchard and Cider pavilion at The Royal Bath and West Show. Entrants from all corners of the kingdom compete for the title of Supreme Championship. This year the Pavilion’s theme is Wessex in honour of our show president, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. www.bathandwest.com

West Sussex

Glastonwick, west sussex

  • When 4 – 6 Jun 2010
  • Where Church Farm, Coombes, West Sussex
  • Description For the 15th consecutive year, and our fourth at the fabulous rural location of Coombes, this popular festival will again bring sleepy Sussex to life in June 2010. http://efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonwick/2010/

View all our listed forthcoming cider events.

If there is an event that isn’t listed that you know about, please leave the information as a comment below. Thank you!

Wassail events 2010

4 Comments 10th January 2010

Wassailing is an old custom that takes place on Old Twelfth Night (17 January) or thereabouts, to exhort apple trees to fruit well the following season.

Customs and songs differ from place to place. At many events cider is poured onto the roots and shots fired through the branches to ward off evil spirits. Warm cider is drunk and toast soaked in cider is placed in the branches for the robin. Wassail songs are sung. More information on Wassailing at Wikipedia.

Here are the listings for wassail events in 2010:

UK events

Cornwall

  • Wassail ‘Old Twelfth Night’ at Trelissick Saturday, 16 January 2010. Meet at the garden entrance and bring a torch.5-7.30pm Adult £4, Child £2

Devon

  • Wassail at Saltram Saturday, 16 January 2010. From 6pm until 8pm Plymouth Join the wardens and the Dartington Morris Men at the Saltram orchard to take part in the ancient custom of wassailing. Followed by mulled cider and apple cake. For up-to-date listings please visit nationaltrust.org.uk/events
  • Yarde Orchard Wassail Saturday, January 16th, 2010. From 18:30. Once again we will be holding a traditional orchard wassail which includes ceremony and music around the orchard followed by feasting and dancing in the cafe afterwards. 01805 601778 or e-mail to reserve tickets £8.50 adults £4.50 under 16s.
  • Occombe Orchard Wassailing at Occombe Farm Lantern workshop 3.30 – 4.30 pm; Preparation for procession and refreshments 4.30- 5.30pm. Procession 5.30pm. Cost: £3.50 per lantern.

East Sussex

  • Middle Farm Wassail Saturday 16th January 2010. 6pm onwards The National Collection of Cider & Perry, Middle Farm, West Firle, Lewes, BN8 6LJ. Under the auspices of Hunter’s Moon Morris the farmhouse orchard will be soundly wassailed, with accompanying indoor revelries, involving much music and dancing, drummers, mummers, hot victuals, a bar full of cider (mulled and otherwise) and local ales, and much good company. Free entry.

London

Somerset

  • Wassailing at Rich’s Saturday 16th January 2010. Richs Farmhouse Cider, Mill Farm, Highbridge, Watchfield, TA9 4RD. Tel: 01278 783651. This years Rich’s Cider Farm Wassail will be held in aid of Cystic Fibrosis and will feature the Mangled Wurzels and Fred Bloggs. Tickets £12.50 in advance including Stew and a mug of mulled cider. Bar until midnight. Cancelled due to bad weather – update 13/01/01
  • Wassail at Orchard Barns, Rooksbridge, Somerset. Saturday, January 16 from 6.30pm. Held at Orchard Barns on the A38 in Rooksbridge to ensure a good apple harvest the following year. A cider bar and a barbecue will be on offer and money raised will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital and the village’s Lights for Life charity. Tickets priced £5 and include a cup of mulled cider with bread and cheese and are available from 01934 750255.

Yorkshire

  • Chevin Wildlife Watch Group Wassail Sunday 10th January. Meet at The White House, Johnny Lane, Otley 10am to 12pm Contact Jenny Watts (Parks and Countryside, Ranger, Leeds City Council) on (0113) 237 5320.

Worcestershire

  • Wassail at the Fleece Inn, Saturday 16th January 2010 from 6.30pm. Singing, drinking & Morris dancing. Home mulled Plum Jerkum plus a hearty stew with crusty bread served around 9pm

International events

Canada

USA

  • Wassail at Slyboro Ciderhouse/Hicks Orchard, Granville, New York United States
    Sunday, Jan. 17th 4pm

We’d love to add more, do you know of any? Let us know and we’ll add it to these listings.

Apple days are coming!

Off 21st September 2009

Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples and orchards, traditionally held on October 21 each year.

Apple Day was initiated by Common Ground in 1990 and has been celebrated in each subsequent year by people organizing hundreds of local events.

This is your chance to get involved, if you are new to cider and want to learn more about how it is made, what makes a good cider, or even grow your own cider apples, get yourself down to a local apple day over the next few weeks. The first apple day events started last weekend and run all the way through to the end of October at various location across the country.

Apple Day events can be large or small, from apple games in a garden to large village fairs.

It’s a great day for all the family, you will have the chance to press apples, taste the different varieties of apples, for cooking and cider making. Apple identification, gardening advice, and countryside games. Sometimes the events have yummy stalls with apple related foods, meats, cakes, jams and even cookery demonstrations.

Whichever one you choose, you’ll be guaranteed to see many hundreds of apple varieties and increase your knowledge and passion for everything appley.

View all our apple day events across the UK.

We’d love to hear how you got on!

Cider Events Calendar

Off 17th February 2009

Cider events are your chance to get up close and personal with your favourite ciders from around the country, as well as learning and tasting new types from new producers.

Cider Festivals

The calendar below is a combined list of Cider and Beer Festivals. Usually CAMRA events that allow you to taste a wide range of traditional real cider.

Cider & Beer Festival Calendar used with kind permission of aletalk