Cider Australia is the peak body for the cider and perry industries in Australia.

Entries to the 2022 Australian Cider Awards opened today as national industry body Cider Australia celebrated a return to its usual Spring judging schedule.

Open to local and imported ciders, speciality ciders as well as apple & pear spirits available for sale in Australia, the Awards is Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider competition with 29 classes and 11 trophies.

President of Cider Australia and chair of the competition organising team, Warwick Billings, said the organisation is anticipating entry numbers to rebound to record levels after a disrupted few years for the industry.

“This year’s guest international judge is French cidrologue and cider consultant Yann Gilles who will bring a wealth of experience, expertise and his international perspective to the world-class judging panel”, said Warwick.

“Yann will also travel to visit producers in several cider regions during his time in Australia and we are confident he will not only inspire but be inspired by the Australian craft cider community”.

Enter the 2022 Australian Cider Awards online via this link.

Registrations close on Friday 14 October with the results to be announced on Friday 18 November at a gala dinner at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills (tickets are available now via Eventbrite).

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

2022 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries open Thu 8 Sep
Entries close Fri 14 Oct
Deliver entries Mon 17 Oct – Fri 28 Oct
Judging (closed to public) Mon 7 & Tue 8 Nov (William Angliss Institute, Melbourne)
Awards Presentation Dinner Fri 18 Nov (Lot 100, Adelaide Hills)

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Media enquiries

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 2022 Australian Cider Awards will be held in Spring 2022. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the 2022 Awards will be held on 7-8 November 2022 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises 7 full judges and 4 associates and brings expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:

  • chair Sebastian Crowther (Real Wines)
  • international guest Yann Gilles (Malus & Vitis, France)
  • Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
  • Lucy Maddox (Forest Dweller Wines)
  • Vanessa Altmann (Mighty Craft)
  • Lisa Cardelli (Terroir Selections)
  • Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay (NSW Department of Primary Industries)

Yann Gilles – Biography

Yann Gilles is a cidermaking and distilling consultant and Founder of cider making consultancy Malus & Vitis. Born in Normandy, Yann’s grandparents made cider on their farm and he now has 25 years’ experience working in the cider sector. Yann launched his own consultancy in 2020 where he partners with cider producers to create apple juice, ciders, perries and spirits using a range of methods. Prior to this, Yann was scientific director at the French R&D cider institute (www.ifpc.eu) for 10 years, and before that he worked for more than a decade at Chambre d’Agriculture de Normandie (France’s main professional organisation for agriculture), consulting to 50 cideries and leading a team of oenologists working on cider.

Yann holds an engineering degree in agriculture and food industry from Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture in Angers and a diploma of oenology from Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot in Burgundy.

 

This year’s Australian Cider Conference officially opens in Batlow, New South Wales next Thursday as Batlow prepares to welcome thousands of cider enthusiasts to the region for its annual cider festivities.

Bringing together an expert line-up of Australian and international speakers, AusCider 2022 offers a unique mix of technical, business and sensory cider education.

President of Cider Australia and co-owner of LOBO Cider Warwick Billings said the organisation is pleased to have secured retail marketing and horticulture expert John Stanley as a keynote speaker and workshop lead.

“Participants have the opportunity to tour the Wilgro orchard and cidery in Batlow and participate in John’s interactive workshop The Devil is in the Detail that will drill down into the strategies needed to successfully develop new ideas in 2022 and beyond”, said Warwick.

The conference program also includes a dinner, supplier showcase and a full day of conference sessions enabling participants to meet, connect and engage with industry leaders and influencers or the first time since early 2020.

Tickets are available until midday on Monday via Eventbrite.

For more information about the conference and speakers visit www.cideraustralia.org.au/auscider

The conference leads in to the annual Batlow CiderFest street festival on Saturday 21 May – for more information visit www.batlowciderfest.com.au

 

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About AusCider

AusCider is the cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event connecting cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other industry representatives from Australia and overseas. The Batlow CiderFest committee and the NSW Department of Primary Industries organised and convened the first seven conferences (2012-2018) in Batlow, NSW.

In 2019, Cider Australia (CA) and Batlow CiderFest (BCF) agreed to transition management to the peak industry body to allow it to rotate between the key cider producing states of Australia. The 2020 and 2021 conferences were postponed and the 2022 conference moved from Western Australia to Batlow due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

About John Stanley

John Stanley (pictured below) is a Nuffield Scholar and an international consultant with agricultural clients in 35 countries. He is also the owner, with his wife Linda, of the award-winning Chestnut Brae, a 1,000 tree sweet chestnut farm near Nannup in Western Australia. This farm has become a recognised agritourism destination as well as focusing on value-added chestnut products.

National industry body Cider Australia has opened tickets sales for the national cider conference to be held in Batlow, New South Wales from 19-20 May 2022.

Internationally-respected retail marketing and horticulture expert John Stanley will present a keynote address and workshop at the AusCider 2022 conference focusing on the new post-Covid marketplace we find ourselves in.

John’s presentation It’s Time to Get Naked will discuss strategies to increase customer count and average sales per customer, and his interactive workshop will take this concept further and drill down into what individual businesses need to do to successfully execute new ideas.

President of Cider Australia and co-owner of LOBO Cider Warwick Billings said the conference program offers a unique mix of cider education in the areas of production, growing systems, science, sensory analysis and business & marketing.

‘We are running a hybrid event to manage the new Covid-normal and the silver lining to the cloud of disruptions we have faced over the past couple of years is being able to broaden the program of speakers to include leading cider experts from the United States, France and Japan’, said Warwick.

‘Our virtual guest speakers will join an impressive line-up of Australian producers, researchers and technical specialists in the only conference of its kind in Australia’, he said.
 
AusCider 2022 includes a cidery/orchard tour and conference dinner and coincides with the annual Batlow CiderFest on Saturday 21 May.

Tickets to AusCider 2022 are now available via Eventbrite.

For more information on the conference visit www.cideraustralia.org.au/auscider

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About AusCider

AusCider is the cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event connecting cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other industry representatives from Australia and overseas. The Batlow CiderFest committee and the NSW Department of Primary Industries organised and convened the first seven conferences (2012-2018) in Batlow, NSW.

In 2019, Cider Australia (CA) and Batlow CiderFest (BCF) agreed to transition management to the peak industry body to allow it to rotate between the key cider producing states of Australia. The 2020 and 2021 conferences were postponed and the 2022 conference moved from Western Australia to Batlow due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

About John Stanley

John Stanley (pictured below) is a Nuffield Scholar and an international consultant with agricultural clients in 35 countries. He is also the owner, with his wife Linda, of the award-winning Chestnut Brae, a 1,000 tree sweet chestnut farm near Nannup in Western Australia. This farm has become a recognised agritourism destination as well as focusing on value-added chestnut products.

John was recently employed by Tourism WA to help develop the cider trail in WA. He has authored a number of books about agritourism and has spoken at many of the global leading conferences.

www.johnstanley.com.au

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

The Australian cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking conference AusCider 2022 will be held in Batlow, New South Wales on 19-20 May.

Hosted by industry body Cider Australia, the conference connects cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and others in the cider community from Australia and overseas.

Warwick Billings, President of Cider Australia, said the twice-postponed conference will focus on how craft cideries can scale up with integrity, with the conference program to be released next week.

“After such a long hiatus, we can’t wait to bring everyone together in the place where the conference was founded ten years ago”, said Warwick.

The conference leads into Batlow’s annual CiderFest on Saturday 21 May, a bustling celebration of Australian craft cider set among a blaze of autumn colours.

Chair of the Batlow CiderFest Committee Richard Breward said the community is gearing up to welcome thousands of people to Batlow for the CiderFest and Bushfire Recovery Sunday the following day.

Richard said, “Confirmation that the conference will be held in Batlow is really the icing on the cake”.

AusCider 2022 is proudly sponsored by Lallemand, Winequip, Midland Insurance and Konvoy Kegs and is supported by the Batlow CiderFest Committee and the Department of Primary Industries New South Wales.

For more information on the conference visit www.cideraustralia.org.au/auscider

For more information on the Batlow CiderFest visit www.batlowciderfest.com.au

 

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au

Contact the Batlow CiderFest via Karly Fynn on batlowciderfest@gmail.com or visitwww.batlowciderfest.com.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About AusCider

AusCider is the cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event connecting cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other industry representatives from Australia and overseas. The Batlow CiderFest committee and the NSW Department of Primary Industries organised and convened the first seven conferences (2012-2018) in Batlow, NSW. In 2019, Cider Australia and Batlow CiderFest agreed to transition management to the peak industry body to allow it to rotate between the key cider producing states of Australia. The 2020 and 2021 conferences were postponed and the 2022 conference moved from Western Australia to Batlow due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cider Australia has announced the winners of the tenth Australian Cider Awards at a Virtual Presentation this evening.

The Barossa Valley Cider Company in South Australia won Best in Show, Best Specialty and Best Australian Cider trophies with The Barossa Cider Co – Cloudy Apple Cider made from a blend of 100% Australian grown apples and pears.

Hosted by Cider Australia and supported by Melbourne Royal and a team of volunteers, the Awards promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and is open to local and international cider products sold in Australia.

President of Cider Australia and co-owner of LOBO Cider in the Adelaide Hills, Warwick Billings said the 2021 Awards was an immense success and demonstrates the resilience and determination of the Australian cider community.

A field of 231 Australian and international entries across 27 classes were judged by a panel of respected industry professionals led by chief judge Loïc Le Calvez of wine consultancy Wine Truth.

A record 22 gold medals were awarded this year with a substantial shift up in performance across classes. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded based on points achieved, with gold medal winning entries in contention for trophies.

2021 Australian Cider Award Trophy winners:

Best in Show: The Barossa Valley Cider Company with The Barossa Cider Co – Cloudy Cider

Best New World Cider: Sidro Del Bosco (Cester Camillo) with Sidro Del Bosco

Best Traditional Cider: Daylesford Cider with Wild

Best New World Perry: The Hills Cider Company with Hills Cider Pear

Best Traditional Perry: Core Cider with Perilous

Best Specialty Cider or Perry: The Barossa Valley Cider Company for The Barossa Cider Co – Cloudy Cider

Best Intensified / Distilled Cider or Perry: Spreyton Cider Co with Fancy Apple Brandy

Best Australian Cider or Perry: The Barossa Valley Cider Company for The Barossa Cider Co – Cloudy Cider

Best International Cider or Perry: Sidro Del Bosco (Cester Camillo) with Sidro Del Bosco

Most Successful Small Producer: Sidewood Estate from South Australia

Most Successful Larger Producer: Spreyton Cider Co from Tasmania

For more information and a full list of award and medal winners visit: https://www.cideraustralia.org.au/past-results/2021-results/

Download 2021 Results here.

cideraustralia.org.au

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 10th annual Australian Cider Awards was held in Summer 2021/22 following its postponement in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. It promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers.

This year, the Awards received 231 entries from 66 Australian and international producers. The 2021 judging panel included:

  • Chief judge Loïc Le Calvez (Wine Truth)
  • Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
  • Mark Ellis (Pobblebonk Ciderworks)
  • Alice Glare (4 Pillars Distillery)
  • Tim Jones (RDS Partners)
  • Tim Shand (Napoleone Cider)
  • Kirrily Waldhorn (The Beer Diva)
  • Jason Hirsch (Dan Murphy’s)

Cider Australia has revealed the judging panel for the tenth Australian Cider Awards, the first national show to be held since the pandemic reached Australian shores.

President of Cider Australia and chair of the Awards organising team, Warwick Billings, said despite many challenges an excellent team had been assembled to judge the 2021 Australian Cider Awards.

“233 entries have been received this year across 27 classes, including low and no-alcohol products for the first time”, said Warwick.

“Due to several pandemic-related postponements we will judge in the middle of the Summer holidays, a challenging time in hospitality at the best of times let alone this year, and we are ever thankful to the many volunteers who support our show.

Entries will be assessed blind by a team of judges with skills across the drinks spectrum including:

  • Chief judge Loïc Le Calvez (Wine Truth)
  • Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
  • Alice Glare (4 Pillars Distillery)
  • Tim Jones (RDS Partners)
  • Tina Panoutsos (Carlton & United Breweries)
  • Tim Shand (Napoleone Cider)
  • Kirrily Waldhorn (The Beer Diva)
  • Jason Hirsch (Dan Murphy’s) – Associate

“We will not hold our usual industry gala dinner this year as we know that orchardists and cider makers will be busy preparing for the year’s vintage”, Warwick said.

“Instead we will run a virtual Awards presentation on the evening of Wednesday 2 February to celebrate the 2021 Award winners and the prospects for a better year ahead”, said Warwick.

Registrations to the Virtual 2021 Australian Cider Awards Presentation are now open via https://webinar365.in/cideraustralia/

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.

Key dates

Judging (William Angliss Institute, Melbourne – closed to public) – Mon 17 & Tue 18 Jan 2022
Virtual Awards Presentation – Wed 2 Feb 2022 (8pm ADST/7.30pm ACST/5pm AWST)

cideraustralia.org.au

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BIOGRAPHY – Loïc Le Calvez
Loïc Le Calvez is an Oenologist / Wine Consultant. Growing up up in Brittany, France and working in his father’s premium bottle shop from a young age, he discovered a fascinating variety of cider styles and characteristics. With his father also being the owner of a small apple orchard and an amateur cider maker, cider was often the drink of choice at home. A former Chief Winemaker and Chief Operating Officer at Taltarni in Victoria and Clover Hill in Tasmania, in 2016 Loïc started his own business ‘Wine Truth’. With ‘Wine Truth’, Loïc consults to wineries but also delivers unique wines to individuals whilst sharing the story behind these wines. Loïc is also an agent for French cooperage ‘Tonnellerie Vicard’ in Australia and a regular judge in Wine Shows.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 10th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in Summer 2021/22 following its postponement in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. It promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers. This year, the Awards received 233 entries from 66 Australian and international producers.

Cider Australia has announced the winners of the 2021 Australia’s Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards.

Gurneys Cidery in Gippsland, Victoria has been crowned National Winner of the inaugural competition, and also takes out the Best Cidery award, impressing the judges with a cutting edge cider selection that pushes the bounds on experimentation, collaboration and education while retaining a ‘super serious intent’.

Willie Smith’s Apple Shed in the Huon Valley, Tasmania was awarded the Best Cider + Food Venue in Australia. The judging panel noted that Willie Smith’s is a fabulous cidery that ‘nails it’ with its excellent range of ciders matched with a finely crafted restaurant menu, cementing itself as a ‘must visit’ stop in southern Tasmania.

President of Cider Australia, Warwick Billings, said the Best Cider Selection Awards are designed to identify and reward venues that go the extra mile to present their customers with interesting, unique and delicious cider choices.

“The high standard of entries received from across Australia was really encouraging and shows us that the competition has a bright future.

“Launching a new competition in the midst of a pandemic came had its challenges, not least that the judges were constrained to a virtual assessment of entries, but we still have plenty of learnings and ideas for next steps”, said Warwick.

The 2021 panel of three independent judges comprised drinks writer and backyard cider maker Max Allen, wine + drinks writer/presenter Mike Bennie and Master Sommelier and director of REAL Wines Sebastian Crowther.

Entries were assessed on the quality, diversity and suitability of the ciders on offer, as well as efforts to educate and assist customers to select products.

 

WINNERS – 2021 BEST CIDER SELECTION OF THE YEAR AWARDS

National Winner

Gurneys Cidery

Category Awards

Best Cidery: Gurneys Cidery

Best Cider + Food Venue: Willie Smith’s Apple Shed

Highly Commended

Cidery Category (in alphabetical order):

Daylesford Cidery

Napoleone Orchard Bar & Cidery

Small Acres Cyder

Willie Smith’s Apple Shed

cideraustralia.org.au/

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards

This competition was launched in 2021 to identify and acknowledge venues that offer customers an excellent selection of ciders. It expands Cider Australia’s existing efforts to benchmark and promote the cider industry.

Cider Australia has opened entries to the 2021 Australian Cider Awards!

President of Cider Australia and chair of the Awards organising team, Warwick Billings, said the tenth annual show will go ahead for the first time in more than two years with the judging to be held in Melbourne in January.

Record numbers of entries are anticipated in Australia’s largest ‘blind’ cider tasting which sets the benchmark for cider shows across Australia.

“This year’s Schedule has 29 classes including a new Herbs/Spices class and provision for low and no-alcohol products to enter for the first time, keeping the Awards contemporary and in line with the market”, said Warwick.

“The team has been ready and preparing for the Awards despite Covid-19, and the window of opportunity is now here.

“We are glad we hung in there and the show is finally going to happen as it will bring a lot of festive spirit to the Australian cider community”, Warwick said.

Registrations open today via myaca.rasv.com.au and close 3 December.  

 

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

 

2021 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open

Tue 9 Nov 2021

Entries Close

Fri 3 Dec 2021

Deliver Entries

Mon 6 – Fri 24 Dec 2021

Judging (closed to the public)

Tue 18 & Wed 19 Jan 2022

Awards Presentation

To be advised

 

cideraustralia.org.au

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 10th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in late 2021/early 2022 following its postponement in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. It promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers. In 2019 the Awards received a record 276 entries from 84 Australian and international producers.

Entries are now open to the 2021 Australia’s Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards.

Cider Australia established this competition to reward venues and retailers that have great cider selections. Entries are invited in three categories:

  • Australia’s Best Cider Selection – Pub/Restaurant
  • Australia’s Best Cider Selection – Liquor Retailer
  • Australia’s Best Cidery/Cellar Door

Full competition details including the judging criteria, Terms & Conditions and entry form link can be found here.

Entries will be open until 29 October with the winners announced in mid-November. Winners receive a trophy, marketing collateral and social media opportunities.

Who is eligible to enter?
Any licensed venue or liquor retailer is eligible to enter. By liquor retailer, we mean an individual bricks and mortar liquor store (not a chain of stores) or an online retailer.

What information is needed to enter?
Entrants need to list the ciders available at the venue/store and provide supporting information to show how the judging criteria are met. This could be a copy of the menu or drinks list, images of the venue, shelf displays or other descriptive information. Answers can be typed directly into the entry form and any documents, images and video uploaded.

The video is intended to give the judges a feel for the customer experience and provide an alternative means to explain the cider offering. To be fair to all entrants, video should be taken on a mobile device – professional videos will not be accepted. The maximum length of video is 45 seconds for a Pub/Restaurant, 30 seconds for a Liquor Retailer and 2 minutes for a Cidery/Cellar Door.

What are the judging criteria?
Judges will assess cider selections against the following four judging criteria:

  • quality
    • ciders of known provenance (i.e. Australian ‘craft’ cider made from Australian grown apples, or French cider made from French apples)
    • ciders that represent a particular cider style well
  • breadth of styles
    • balance of cider styles, apple varieties and regions (if suitable, for example, a venue specialising in regional produce would be expected to feature local ciders)
  • suitability
    • to the type of venue and cuisine
  • education
    • identifying provenance and/or style
    • providing product information, tasting notes and food matching suggestions
    • promotional activities

Questions?
If you have any questions please get in touch at awards@cideraustralia.org.au.

Cider Australia is launching the Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards to identify and acknowledge venues that offer customers an excellent selection of ciders.

The Best Cider Selection Awards will accept nominations from licensed establishments and liquor retailers across Australia in three categories – Pub/Restaurant, Liquor Retailer and Cidery/Cellar Door.

President of Cider Australia, Warwick Billings, said the new competition is an important progression for the cider industry as cider palates evolve and consumers seek out new tasting and food matching experiences.

“Our aim is to reward the venue owners, managers and sommeliers that go the extra mile to present their customers with interesting, unique and delicious cider choices”, said Warwick.

“The Awards will help people find venues that serve great cider, whether they are looking to have an after-work drink, casual weekend lunch or a high-end restaurant meal.

Entries will be assessed on the quality, diversity and suitability of the ciders on offer, as well as efforts to educate and assist customers to select products.

Category winners will receive a trophy, marketing collateral and social media opportunities.

Entries open next week and close on 29 October.

 

COMPETITION DETAILS ARE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.

Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards – Key dates

Entries Open Early October 2021
Entries Close 29 October 2021
Winners Announced Mid November 2021

cideraustralia.org.au/

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

The Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards expand Cider Australia’s existing efforts to benchmark and promote the cider industry and from 2022 will be incorporated into the annual Australian Cider Awards program. The Australian Cider Awards were postponed in 2020 and remain on hold in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.