The beginnings of a Cider Empire ?

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The beginnings of a Cider Empire ?
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Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 6:16 am Post subject:

The licence for the second of our cider weekends ended at 9.00pm last night. Over the three days, we sold 429 pints of cider and a hundred bottles of apple juice. Things were steady without ever getting overly busy.
In the next couple of months we need to look at getting a website up and running and at getting some bookings for next summers local shows.

Although we come a long way over the last few years, we are still very much the beginning of our journey.

SandraR

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 2346
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 7:54 am Post subject:
Fantastic.

Croatia Keith

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 23
Location: Croatia

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 6:56 pm Post subject:
They don't make cider here in Croatia, well not yet anyway. Your story has inspired a few of us to have a go.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 7:31 pm Post subject:
Keith, its great fun and makes for a very sociable way of trying to make a bit of money.

Croatia Keith

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 23
Location: Croatia

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 8:08 pm Post subject:
I dont think any of us are looking at the money aspect...HIC But seriously that could be a very interesting little earner here if it took off. Croatians can brew everything from anything and yet dont make cider. very odd?

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 12 10:25 pm Post subject:
Fantastic, Bodger, well done - I know it's been a lot of hard work, you deserve the success.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 7:14 am Post subject:

My first apple picking day of the season today. The wheel has gone full circle and now it starts to turn all over again.
A couple of weeks back, The Cambrian news did an article on us, in which I told them how this year my business was likely to be hit by a lack of the basic ingredient and that apples were a scarce commodity. I'm off to pick fruit from the gardens of two people who read the paper and got in touch with me. I don't know how many apples there'll be, or what variety but its definately a start.

This coming Bank Holiday weekend will also see me holding my third 'cider for sale at the gate' event. This time, I've obtained a temporary events licence for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the BH Monday. If the weather is nice, I might even put a display on for the punters and press the apples that I get today. There's been lots of interest from folks about what we do here and I'm sure that they'll love seeing the process.

If the sale goes like the previous ones, then things will be quite tight and it will be touch and go as to whether or not we can keep the pubs that I supply with cider for the rest of the summer. The thing is, is that I get more money for my cider selling it direct to the public ,than I do to selling to the pubs.

T.G

Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 7280
Location: Somewhere you're not

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 10:55 am Post subject:
Sounds a bit of a dilemma, hopefully you'll tap into some apple supplies that you haven't had before like these two and be able to get enough raw materials. Bodger, forgive me if I've missed you stating it somewhere but have any of the trees you plant come into fruit yet? If not how much longer will you have to wait to crop your own trees, just out of idle curiosity?

sarahp1

Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 68
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 11:22 am Post subject:

I have been touring the country with this research project I'm promoting for work and getting varied reports of booms and busts in fruit crops - so there are some out there somewhere! Seems to have depended on local weather conditions, frost in particular, during flowering. I will check out my local haunts this weekend and see what the state of play is here.

And, on a tip from a community gardener coordinator, I happened across the website fruitshare.net. Has anyone used/heard of this website before? I signed up this morning. There is also an abundance group near where I work (they pick fruit and distribute it) - perhaps they are in your area too?

sarahp1

Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 68
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 11:26 am Post subject:

P.S.

Quote:

Maybe I should have had a shave this morning, or better still, arranged for a body double.

All cider makers I know wear stubble... and the drinkers too for that matter

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 12:32 pm Post subject:
I can categorically state I wear no stubble!

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 2:08 pm Post subject:
I'll vouch for that Lozzer. Most of my trees have some fruit on them this year TG, with the exception of my Dabinetts. They were planted as maidens in 2008. Sarah, I think you'll find tales of woe throughout the country.

sarahp1

Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 68
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 2:36 pm Post subject:
Sorry Lorraine, comment retracted. Can't see where to delete it, but tired today so maybe not seeing where it should be. If it's any consolation I've made cider when I've had the room, too (and I try and keep my stubble so that only I can see it :/ ). I feel for you having a business reliant on nature cooperating and was only trying to help.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 3:19 pm Post subject:
Dont worry! Knew you were joking! Our apples have done okay. For the first year Ive got fruit on my Court Pendu Plats. Nothing on my Reinette d'Orleans though. Out of the 30 or so trees, we have about half of them doing okay. Again, the pears have done stupidly well.

sarahp1

Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 68
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 12 3:27 pm Post subject:

I haven't really looked very hard as I have nowhere to store anything and will probably be moving again atleast once probably more like 3 times in the next few months, so there is little point preserving this year for me.

A few years back my neighbours gave me shopping bags full of pears I jarred pear quarters in cold pressed pear juice. They were wonderful. I miss doing all the bottling and home brew etc.

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