Welsh Perry & Cider Society festival 2012

Its that time of year again. In a few weeks, the annual Welsh Perry & Cider Festival will be held at Blaengawney Cider Farm (Hafodyrynys, NP11 5AY) over the Jubilee Weekend (1st - 4th June.) What a great way to celebrate anything - trying as many ciders and perries as possible at the top of a Welsh mountain! They have over 70 to try so sensible drinkers can easily to spread their liver damage out over the three days, rather than try for all of them in one day. Its a great chance to meet the producers, most of whom will be there at some stage so you can cheer their ear off one way or another should you feel the need!

I went last year where it was held at the lovely Clytha Arms but could only stay for a few hours. I REALLY wanted to stay for longer and vowed to come back. 

Having visited Blaengawney before, I can vouch for the spectacular views and generous hospitality of the owners, its a proper taste of Wales and is well worth a visit. Bring your tent and banjo too. The atmosphere was very family and very friendly last year - there was camping and sunshine and music and cheese and pies and smiles...

Amazingly - its only 4 quid to get in and that includes a free half pint glass full to the brim with a cider or perry of your choice too. I think camping for the weekend costs a little more but that includes entry into the festival too.

Here are some photos from last year (apologies if you've seen them before.) See you at the bar for some proper 'iechyd da.'

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone...

This post is a plea for help to save our beloved cider traditions from some fatal legislation that will take traditional cider making to the brink of existance just as it is blossoming again. I know that sounds dramatic but unfortunately its true. I find it difficult to believe that any government (let alone a Conservative/Liberal Democrat one who are 'popular' rurally speaking) would even consider damaging changes like these. It is an ignorant and misinformed policy that will have the consequence (no matter how unintentional) of killing and nailing the coffin firmly shut the majority of farmhouse cidermakers. The 'minimum pricing' idea that the government wants to push through parliament hopes to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol in order to curb our worst drinking habits. Whilst its admirable that a government wants to do something about it and I have no doubt that this will have the desired effect, to some degree at least, it's a 'blunt instrument' approach that will smash the livelihood of all small-medium craft drinks producers, particularly Cider due to its natural strength.

There is alot of talk on and around the cider farms here in Somerset and no doubt beyond. Some people think that the European parliament won't allow it through, others think its just a matter of time before it does with both the apple growers the cider producers being brought to their knees. The Conservative party want you to believe this: http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Environment.aspx but unfortunately its utter balls because this piece of legislation totally undermines that.

The underlying the problem is that the government wants to be seen to address is binge drinking, pre-loading and general alcohol abuse. The reality is that binge drinkers, pre-loaders and abusers don't get in a car and drive all the way to a cider farm to buy gallon of cider to share at the weekend. They buy cheap, fizzy, industrial alcohol (the 'ingredients' of which have never been anywhere near an orchard) in supermarkets and off license's in our towns and cities where its much more affordable and convenient.

Artisan cidermakers that have been producing some of the finest cider in the world for generations will have find an increase of cost in their product which will make traditionally produced cider very expensive indeed. To give you some idea of the price hike, a cider maker who sells from the barrel on the farm will see an increase of a gallon from somewhere around the £5 mark to £12, possibly more.

Traditional cider apples have enough fermentable sugar in them to create about 6-6.5% abv. Thats straight up, not messed about with in any way, natural sugars giving natural levels of alcohol using natural yeasts. Its often more- even up to 8% in certain seasons. The worst industrial ciders are made by mixing sugars, flavourings and aromas to create a cider about 4.5% abv, others will use a concentrate produced from their own apples/orchards (made by reducing freshly pressed the juice and storing it until they need it.) However you want to make an industrial beverage, you do it for greater profit margins and with the aid of mass market distribution. Those of us who prefer cider made by smaller producers (who have smaller margins and smaller markets) are automatically penalised purely because its made traditionally and they aren't interfering with the process by watering it down and/or mixing it with cheaper products. Tradition will be soon be punishable by a massive increase in retail price making it one of the most expensive commodities, luxuries even, which people simply won't be able to afford. It's not just a commodity or a luxury, its a goddamn right here in Somerset. So now, by making something purer (and so, so much greener environmentally speaking) you run the risk of making it unaffordable and unsustainable. Its ludicrous. As Roger Wilkins remarked, farmhouse cider is supposed to be cheap because it was always produced by farmers for agricultural labourers for generations- our entire regional economy was based on it at one stage. And besides, people have invested so much recently - do you really want to do that to them? It grows on trees for fuck sake!

This legislation could work well at curbing the affordability of industrially made drinks wether cider, beer or artificially flavoured, brightly coloured alcopops, but whats the point if you are killing the one thing you should be protecting and encouraging- quality and tradition. Cider is on trend at the moment and is so strong, and we don't have to accept this.

I would urge all of you, even if you live in outside UK to make your friends and collegues aware of this because there is still something that can be done about it. If you live in UK, you can let the government know that you want to make artisan cidermakers exempt from the changes by signing a petition here:

     -------->     http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32849

It only takes a few minutes (you have to have a valid e-mail address and be a resident of the UK to be included.) If you don't live in UK, please make any UK nationals you have any influence over aware of the problem and encourage them to do something about it. Petitions need 100,000 signatures to even raise a debate in Parliament so every signature really does count... I don't expect that many responses but its certainly not impossible. The difficultly with asking people to do this is that we rarely do because we're lazy by nature and sadly many people won't realise the significance of the consequences until its added to their pint at the bar, their weekly shopping bill or they're arrive at the cider farm one day only to realise they've gone out of business. Cider was born on a farm and it appears there it shall die too unless we object.

Save our scrumpy peoples.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

                                                     WH Auden

Arweinlyfr Perai a Seidr Cymru (thats Welsh Perry & Cider Guide to you and me)

Hey, I've got more good news... we must have pleased the gods when wassailed hard this earlier this month. Yey for Wassailing I say.

Following the strictest tendering process of the Welsh Perry & Cider Society, it gives me a thrill to announce that Barnsley beer geezer Pete Brown and my-Somerset scrumpy-self have been asked to produce the first ever Welsh Perry & Cider Guide. 

The guide is intended to increase awareness in Wales and beyond, specifically: 'a guide to producers of craft cider and perry in Wales, comprising producer profiles, a cider trail, cider on the menu, and cider pubs.'


WPCS, the Development Officer Cressida Slater told me "We’re really pleased to have you guys on board and think this will make for a really interesting publication." I would like to add, rather boastfully, that I think so too. It is after all the point of a guide to supply information in an interesting way. If we are anything as a team, its 'interesting.'

I confess to not having spent alot of time in Wales, although it doesn't really matter. In many respects, that goes in my favour - there is alot to be said for being new to something, or somewhere, particularly if you work visually. In this case, its Wales and I hope as a newcomer I'll be tuned in to the differences that make it Welsh. In the same way a Yorkshireman who lives in London is in a great position to write about cider because, although very experienced in beer and publishing, cider is a slightly newer arena for Pete, his eyes will be fresher too: no preconceptions or hang ups etc. That having been said, I did a small job for them last year.

One benefit is that it reinforces a larger project Pete and I have been chipping away at, looking at specific cider cultures around the world. There is still alot to sort out, plans to be made and grey matter to flex (for those of us that have it) but it looks like Wales is due to get the full Team Brownshaw treatment.

Below is a very homemade cover mock up we stuck on the front of our proposal (yes, I know... and they still gave us the job.) If all goes according to plan it should be ready sometime in Spring 2013.

Yachi da.

International Craft Cider Festival, Wales, 12th-14th August 2011

So you think you know about cider? Do you really? When was the last time you got the chance to try cider from France, Germany, Spain, England and Wales (and maybe Ireland) side by side all at the same time whilst listening to loads of bands and hanging out with lots of people that enjoy, and make, cider too??

Hmmmmmmm? Thought so. Time to open your taste buds up to something different..

In more seriousness, this is just a quick plug for a great event that I'll be attending and showing some photography at in about a months time. Set in deepest Welsh countryside, its more than just your regular cider festival, this is a chance to try some real cider from other real cider cultures all over the Europe. Esteemed writer and author Pete Brown and I will be doing a joint piece at about 5pm on Saturday 13th loosely titled 'The Secret Stories of Cider' where Pete will be reading from some of his newest notes and observations on cider whilst I will be slide-showing a handpicked selection of images to accompany his words. For those of you that don't know Petes work, do yourselves a favour and pick up a copy of one of his books- they're brilliant and a must for anyone that likes beer (everyone?)  He's been described as 'the beer drinkers Bill Bryson'- his tales recalling the characteristic, inquisitive, often harebrained and occasionally hapless adventures he undertakes into the beer world (in this case cider world.) Riddled with his trademark humour, cynical observations with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, its very English, slightly familiar, fascinating, hilarious and informative all at the same time.

Sounds like the only excuse you need to get a pint or three ready, find a comfy seat and listen up for 45 minutes of cider love (certainly more than any excuse I would need anyway.)

More details can be found at http://www.internationalciderfestival.com/ -get your tickets while you can, come along and say hi!