Sweet taste of success for monks’ cider

The Ampleforth Abbey Cider and Premium Cider have won Gold and Bronze medals in this year’s International Cider Challenge.

Facing competition from around the world, both ciders, the 6.5 per cent Abbey Cider and the 8.3 per cent Premium Cider, won Bronze in the Tasting category. There was also the top Gold award for the Premium Cider in the design and packaging section.

The Procurator of Ampleforth Abbey, Father Wulstan Peterburs, said: “This is a glowing tribute to the quality of Ampleforth ciders. They are a wonderful example of how centuries of apple-growing tradition can, with skill and dedication, produce top quality drinks that are rated so highly today.”

The abbey has more than 2000 apple trees in its orchard, one of the largest commercial orchards in the North of England.

More than 40 varieties of apples are grown and they are then pressed in the abbey’s cider mill before the juice is stored in massive vats where it is fermented and matured for eight months.

email [email protected]