Links
General
The entry for cider. A fairly useful description of cider across the world, as well as a brief resume of its history.
By Andrew Lea, contains probably the most detailed technical explanation of the process of cider making, as well as articles relating to apple varieties, orchards, cider vinegar etc.
Andrew is also the author of "Craft Cider Making" which can be purchased from Good Life Press in the UK. You can also get it from Vigo. In the USA you can buy it from Voyageur Press
Claude Jolicoeur's website, where he stores his gems on cider making and orcharding. Can be fairly technical... but if you are interested in getting the best out of your cider making, well worth visiting
Apples/Pears/Orcharding
The website for Fruitwise, an orchard in the south of England run by Stephen and Julia Hayes, with many rare and heritage varieties. An excellent resource covering subject from growing trees, making cider and even an essay on the state of apple growing in the UK. Additionally, there is a list of books with reviews covering apples and tree management. Many images of apples!
Conserves, promotes and celebrates traditional orchards in Gloucestershire.
Marcher Apple Network - MAN for short - was founded in December 1993 with the idea of reviving old varieties of apples and pears. With around 300 members, MAN now is involved in many different activities from keeping MAN's own orchards to exhibiting their varieties at shows.
Now run by Reading University, Brogdale Farm is based in Kent and houses, as the name suggests, the National Fruit Collection. They have some 3,500 varieties of fruit, including 2000 apples and 500 pears. They also run events (see events)
A voluntary umbrella organisation which represents 20-30 heritage orchard groups, exchanging relevant information between them and raising awareness of national orchard issues. It also helps to set up orchard groups in parts of the UK where none may exist.
Organisations
Whilst promoting real ale primarily, a number of members of the Cider Workshop are members of this campaigning organisation, promoting the cider and perry section. Worth a look if you want to get involved in festivals etc.
The UK’s main cider makers association, representing mainly large scale producers. While some of the practices allowed may draw criticism, the NACM are the industry's main representative to government.
The principal purpose of the 3CCPA is to represent, support and promote the interests of cider and perry producers primarily based in the Three Counties region of the UK (Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire).
The society promotes perry and cider in Wales, and this website covers a lot of good ground. Much is slanted to the Welsh side of things (naturally), but there is lots of interesting content relevant to cider makers across the world.
Related
This organisation hosts two main events per year, plus promotes smaller events. These are based around the area of parishes of the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire.
The Cider Digest is a cider enthusiast's email forum based in the US. Discussions tend to be slanted toward North American products and practice, but membership is worldwide including substantial numbers of Brits, Kiwis, and Oz. It's now in its 18th year
Set in a former cider making factory, Hereford's Cider Museum covers all about the history of cider making, with displays of cider making equipment, a coopers workshop and cider champagne cellars – the museum hosts a number of events around the year.
This is an amalgamation of Gillian Grafton's Real Cider & Perry website and Paul Gunningham's Scrumpy User Guide website, run by Frank Blades. It contains a lot of information about cider and perry, as well as events, useful links and a history of cider. Websites like 'Old Scrumps' are an excellent resource and the reason we don't have to replicate everything!
The original website can still be found at: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/
A new cider web portal created by Jim Callender, with excellent links to pub guides, producer listing advice about real cider
Taste & Explore has a base in the pleasant rural setting of Hartpury, Gloucestershire - The Orchard Centre, which acts as a visitor information point, as well as a specialist centre for training in the production of cider, perry, juice and orchard fruit-based products.