On 9 September we were lucky enough to be on the Terrace of the House of Commons on a lovely summer evening, with a great view of the London Eye on the opposite side of the Thames, all glowing blue.
The All-Party Parliamentary Cider Group holds receptions for politicians and the industry on a regular basis, hosted by Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Chairman. It was the first time at the House of Commons for some of us, and what an awe inspiring place it is!
Literally within hours of becoming Chair of the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) Martin Thatcher delivered a strong message to MPs and government officials.
“When we talk to growers and farmers about planting new orchards we are asking them to accept no income for a couple of years and to wait seven years for a full crop, weather permitting.
“They will only contemplate doing that if we guarantee to buy their apples for twenty-five years and if we can convince them that we will continue to invest to increase consumer appeal with a broader and innovative range of great ciders that people want to buy.
“Cider has a bright future – the fact that cider makers and growers are prepared to make that commitment is testament to their confidence – with support from government we can deliver that potential and do more to support the rural communities we are part of.”
It was great to see lots of familiar faces from Somerset at the reception, and to taste the very generous samples that cider-makers had supplied. We particularly enjoyed Sheppy's award winning Oak Matured Vintage cider, as well as Thatcher's Gold.
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