A festival that has helped to revive the tradition of cider drinking in Dorset was singled out for one of the industry’s top accolades at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show.
The Cider Innovation Award was collected by Nick Poole on behalf of the Powerstock Cider Festival which has blossomed out of what originally began as a regular cider tasting evening held by the West Milton Cider Club.
Over the years it has grown into a major event attended by a dozen cider makers and several hundred people.
It has inspired new cider-makers to start up, new orchards are growing and local cider sales are increasing steadily.
The Award, proudly sponsored by Thatchers Cider, is presented at the Show each year in recognition of groundbreaking ideas that help advance cider sales or production.
The Award recognises the most innovative product in the Cider industry. It must make a significant contribution to the cider industry, can be of any size, mechanical, chemical or cultural. Cost effectiveness is a high priority. Entries came from trade growers and private individuals and the Cider Innovation Award is a significant honour and much prized.
John Thatcher said the Festival was a worthy winner of the award, which was presented to Nick by Shadow Agriculture Minister Bill Wiggin who visited the Show on its opening day.
Mr Thatcher said: “There is much to be optimistic about in our industry as long as people like Nick Poole continue to have imaginative ideas like the Powerstock Cider Festival and the enthusiasm and skills to make them a reality.
Second place in the awards went to a new spray - Regalis - designed by BASF to reduce the costs of pruning apple trees while allowing more light through the canopy, reducing problems of scab and mildew. It was being promoted by stewardship manager Simon Townsned from Cheshire.
And third place went to Geoff Jenkins, of Hereford, for his development of a manually operated pruning platform.
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Cider Innovations Award
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