General information

Our Cider and Perry Trials will take place on Saturday 3rd May 2025. Please read the following before entering!

Competitors must bring their entries to Dragon Orchard, HR8 2RG between 08.30 and 10.30 on the morning of Saturday 3rd May.  

For each entry in a draught class, you will need to bring it in a clean, clear, unmarked, glass 1 gallon (5 litre) demi-john with a removable label (which we will provide on the day) showing your name, the class entered (see Rules for definition of classes), and the product’s specific gravity.  The demi-john must have a correctly fitting cork or rubber stopper.   Entries not meeting these requirements will NOT be accepted.  Empty demi-johns will be available to replace the demi-johns that you have brought on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.  Alternatively you may reclaim your demi-johns and their remaining contents between 16:30 and 17:00 on Monday 6th May at the end of the Blossomtime event at Dragon Orchard where they will have been on display to the public.

For bottle-fermented/bottle-conditioned classes entries must be in two heavyweight punted 75cl glass bottles with correct closures for each class entered, each bottle with a removable label (which we will provide on the day) showing your name and class entered.  Typically these will be bottles over 500g in weight (empty) suitable for use with wired corks or crown caps.

You can enter up to a maximum of five classes in the main competition, with one entry and one vote per class. We accept that at the time of submitting an entry the final SG of your samples may not be known and you may change classes on the morning of the trials, provided that you still do not have more than one entry in any class.

We are imposing a maximum limit of 40 entries in each draught class and 15 entries in the bottled classes.  Once the limit is reached the entry form will not accept additional entries in the class.

The closing date for entries is Saturday 26th April at 17:00.  No entries will be accepted after that time.

Judging is carried out by the makers – there is no panel of judges.  Each entrant receives a voting slip for each of the classes they have entered. All the entries in the draught classes will be decanted into numbered flagons to ensure anonymity and each entrant may vote for up to three entries in a class.  The contents of the bottled classes are presented in unmarked glasses to sample.  In the event a maker is unable to attend, a proxy may be appointed to carry out the judging.  In the draught classes, a maker may also have an assistant to help with the judging.

Judging for the bottled classes will commence at 12:00 for Class P (bottled perry) and no earlier than 13.00 for Class C (bottled cider). Judging for the remaining classes will commence at 14:00.  The competition ends at 16:30 and the results will be announced approximately 30 minutes later.

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This link is to the formal rules!

Rules of the competition >>