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The content previously published here has been withdrawn. We apologise for any inconvenience.

I found this bottle of craft perry or poiré artisan on a greengrocer’s stall in an ordinary produce market in Lille, north of France. The stallholder was very keen to inform me about the perry, explaining that it was made on a farm somewhere next to the English Channel, and that perry goes very well with good food especially seafood and poultry and is in fact even nicer than cider.

The perry was indeed very tasty and refreshing, with a real taste of perry pears and a complexity that increased as it warmed up a little.

It turns out that Theo Capelle is a cider maker distillery in Normandy and describes the perry thus:

As an aperitif or dessert, and for special occasions, Théo Capelle has selected for you a fruity Perry, sparkling and refreshing.

Perry is obtained from perry pears, notably the “plant de blanc”. Plant de Blanc is a local perry pear variety which is a required constituent at at least 40% for the Appellation Control for Domfront Perry.

Bill Boyle wrote to ukcider:

Dear ukcider,

Having spent a miserable 2 weeks without cider whilst in Aruba in 2008, we’re taking our drinking lives in our hands and are off to Cotton Bay Village in St Lucia in November and would love to learn if it will be possible to find/buy cider during the course of our holiday? Any ideas please?

Regards,

Bill & Sue Boyle

Map of St Lucia in the Caribbean

I’ve no idea what the cider conditions are like in the Carribbean, nor many other places I’ve never been to. A holiday in Spain or France, Ireland and most of the UK should provide some cider and perry opportunities though. And according to the Worldwide cider Wiki maybe Germany, Australia Norway and the US.

Worldwide - Real Cider and Perry at ukcider - good cider pub guide - cider producers - cider makers FAQ

3rd International Cider Festival,

Hebden Bridge  hosted its 3rd International Cider Festival at the Stubbing Wharf public house, on the weekend of 27th to 28th June, with the special preview night of the ciders on offer, on Friday evening.

The Cider Festival continues to get bigger and better each year, with a growing variety of ciders, combined with two days of music and entertainment.

“Our ciders will include recent award winners and favourites requested from previous years, plus many others from around the world to enjoy over the weekend,” adds Phil Kennedy, who organises the event with the Stubbing Wharf.

“We also have the return of our popular French Cider Bar with some new Breton Ciders as well as our popular draft cider ‘Mont St Michele, which is unique to the north of England.”

More details at Hebweb news 2009: Cider Festival.

More than 2,000 cider lovers turned out at the Stubbing Wharf, King Street, Hebden Bridge, for a two-day event celebrating all things apple-related
in the town’s third annual cider festival.

Cider drinkers were treated to more than 70 different types of cider from Spain to Shropshire as well as feasting on a hog roast.

Matt Browne, pub licensee said:

It went brilliantly and was unbelievably popular. It exceeded all of our expectations. We are delighted.

Entertainment was from the Ryburn Long Swords, music by Denny and Co, a magic act and a cider themed comedy show.

Paul Fowler, of Hebden Bridge, who brought his daughters along, said:

It is a lovely setting for it and the cider was pretty good as well.

Geraldine Allport said

It is something a bit different and a lot of fun really. We are not usually big cider fans but when it looks as good as this you have to try.”

Non-alcoholic apple juice was available for the youngsters.

The 3rd Hebden Bridge cider festival was organised by Matt Browne and Phil Kennedy.

The French Trade Commission in the UK (Mission Economique UBIFRANCE) is to hold a special beer and cider tasting event in London on Thursday 2 July 2009. The tasting will feature beer and cider from various regions of France.

The event will provide an ideal networking opportunity for both French beer and cider producers and exporters looking for representation in the UK, as well as British importers and wholesalers looking for drinks to add to their portfolio.

In 2007, France produced 15.1 million hectolitres of beer, of which 1.8 million were exported. Beer is produced in many regions of France, from Corsica to the Alps. French cider, on the other hand, is mainly produced in the west and north-west of France. In 2007, France exported 266,726 hectolitres of cider, of which 67,733 were sold in the United Kingdom.

Les Celliers Associés/Val de Rance which was founded in 1953, is a cooperative that makes cider using apples from 420 French cider producers producers, all members of Les Celliers Associés.

Domaine Duclos is a family-run cider producer based in Normandy. The company uses traditional and environmentally friendly methods to produce a selection of top-of-the-range ciders.

Chateau de Brouay has been producing cider and Calvados since 1823. The company, which uses organic farming methods, has 23 varieties of apple trees in its orchards, enabling it to produce a wide range of drinks.

Cidrerie Traditionnelle du Perche makes both dry cider (brut) and sweet cider (demi-sec), as well as Calvados, cider vinegar, apple jam, and cider jam.

Gaec du Mesnil D’O is a family-run company, located in the heart of Normandy. The company produces two uniform batches each year – one of slightly sweet cider and the other one of dry cider.

Domaine Dupont is a family-run company with 30 hectares of cider-apple orchards. The Dupont family produces a large range of both traditional and innovative drinks.

About the French Trade Commission in the UK

The Beer and Cider event organised by the French Trade Commission will take place on Thursday 2 July 2009 between 10.00am and 5.00pm, with a buffet lunch from 12.30pm. Journalists interested in attending the event should contact the French Trade Commission for further details of the venue.

Ms Caroline Morton
Food and Drink Department, French Trade Commission in the United Kingdom
Direct telephone line: 00 (44) [0] 207 316 4156
Email address: caroline.morton@ubifrance.fr