Fruit growers flock to Sheppy's in Bradford-on-Tone

Sheppy’s, which has been making cider for 200 years, staged the event at its 90-acre site in Bradford-on-Tone.

Experts discussed cultivation methods and apple varieties, as well as the challenges faced by the sector, including rising production costs and plague control.

According to figures from the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), there are more than 16,000 apple orchards across the UK, while the sector is estimated to be worth more than £3 billion.

Now in its sixth generation, the family-run business is headed by managing director David Sheppy, who said the event was an opportunity to talk to other producers about the state of the industry.

“It's lovely to have growers see what we do here, and because it's a lovely setting and we've got nice orchards, our situation is a bit different as we're far more self-sufficient,” he said.

High-tech is now being deployed to combat pests such as apple scab, a fungal disease that can devastate orchards. As a result, Sheppy’s has resorted to using sophisticated ‘spore traps’ to prevent their spread.

According to Mr Sheppy, one of the other issues facing the cider industry is related to EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility).

EPR places the onus on businesses to dispose of any packaging they produce if their annual turnover is £1m or more, and if they import or supply more than 25 tonnes of packaging to the UK market.

If the packaging goes to the consumer, the producer is charged a percentage for its eventual disposal. It is meant to be a tax on waste, but Mr Sheppy said it has resulted in added costs for the company.

“It's hit us hard because it's adding quite a substantial amount to the price of the bottle. We estimate that it’s between eight and 10p for each glass,” he said.

Rising global temperatures and the threat of drought is also a concern across the industry, he added. “It's about getting the balance right. We had a really wet harvest last year, and we need good weather in the autumn to get the crop in.

“This time of year, you don't want it too wet, but it's now coming to the point where, if we don't get rain soon, the apples won't swell - they won't grow. We'll have really good sugar content, but we won't get the yield.”

A recent report from trade publication Drinks Retailing warned that the alcohol market was “feeling the impact of lingering uncertainty about the economic outlook”.

In the 12 months to February, the cider market saw a 1.8 per cent drop in sales.

The NACM has also warned that the increases in alcohol duty for bottled and canned ciders, which came into effect in February, would negatively impact the industry “for years to come”.

Packaged ciders still account for most of the sales, although excise duty on draught ciders has been reduced by 1.7 per cent to better support pubs.