A SOMERSET cider brand is celebrating a year of good growth in both the orchard and the office.

Harry’s Cider, which is based near Langport, had an action-packed year that finished with a growth of almost 50 per cent year-on-year.

They were also jumping for joy after their dabinett cider was given the Taste of the West Silver Award and is now being stocked at Heston Blumenthal’s Perfectionist Café.

Alison Chapman, from Harry’s Cider, said: “We’re delighted with this year’s growth figures.

“It’s been a busy year and we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet lots of new customers at festivals, farmers markets and other local events.

“The feedback we hear is always so positive, while awards such as the Taste of the West Silver Award are the icing on the cake.

“Due to increasing demand, we are pressing more apples this year, anticipating further growth over the next 12 months, and we still have the capacity to continue growing at the same annual rate for several more years to come.

“We’ve recently been listed by JD Wetherspoon at their pubs across Somerset and have launched our new online shop as well, which is expected to boost sales even further, so we’ve certainly got cause to celebrate this year.”

Harry’s Cider kicked off 2015 by meeting Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis after they won his Small Business Sunday twitter competition.

This year also saw the firm hold their first tour of the Harry’s Cider farm, with a number of summer and autumn events followed by the Best in the West announcement.

Cider producer Harry Fry said: “For most cider growers, this year has seen terrific yields.

“We’ve had some fantastic blossom in the spring, followed by good growing conditions through until the autumn.

“The harvest started about a week later than normal, during the first week of October.

“We had a three week period in October when ground conditions were perfect for harvesting, but then some wet but very mild weather which made working conditions far from ideal.

“We have made a similar quantity of cider to last year too and, due to the warm and mild conditions, it is fermenting out to dryness very quickly.

“I like to let the cider mature for a few months after fermentation has finished, so it should be ready to drink in the early spring.”

For further information about Harry’s Cider or to order online, visit www.harryscidercompany.co.uk.