1. Aspects of Small Scale Cider Making
Jonathan Kaye

2. Abstract
This talk will discuss the main considerations of scaling from hobbyist to small scale cider producer. How does Duty change with scale and what licenses do I need? How do I plan for next season and how many apples do I need to press? What advantages does the small producer have over the ‘big boys’?
As a Cider Maker of 25 years Jonathan Kaye has a wide ranging experience with his smallest cider making season consisting of 20 Litres of kieved sweet cider and his busiest cider making day pressing over 2,200 Tonnes of apples.
During this talk he’ll reflect on this experience in order to answer these and your questions.

3. Scale of Cider Making
225T ready to mill
Single tree!

4. Who am I? Trained as a Brewer – Heriot-Watt University
25 Years in Cider Making
Bulmer’s Cider (Hereford & Ledbury)
AB InBev (Stella Artois Cidre Brewmaster!)
Shepton Mallet Cider Mill – Cider Maker
Bevisol (Döhler) – Head of Technical & NPD

5. Topics Duty & Registration Capital – Impact of scale Source of fruit?
Packaging
Route to Market
Benefits of being small

6. What is Small Scale? There is no real definition by size <1mhL
Hobbyist
Home production
any size
Under 70hL
Lifestyle business
<70hL
Small Commercial Operation
Well over 70hL
to 1mL
National Operation
<1mhL
International Operation
>1mhL

7. Duty and Registration Under or over the Limit?
To make cider to sell you have to be registered
<70hL there is no duty to pay on cider
There is no duty free made-wine
7,001 Litres pays full duty
Different registrations for Brewery/Distillery
Cider Making is still an agricultural activity

8. Capital – impact of scale
Economies of scale
Consider
Annual tonnage
Efficiency
Staffing
Alternative uses for the kit

9. Source of Fruit? How do you like them apples?
Grow your own or buy off the market
Security of supply
Control of Quality
Type of apple and authenticity
What about concentrate?

10. Packaging Options Back to capital and scale Shelf-life and safety
Glass gives long life but cider can ferment
Premium v ease
BiB is easy but cheap
methode champenoise example of both

11. Routes to Market Straight to Customer – expensive
Local deliveries
Farmers Markets
Via an agent – takes margin
Higher volume but busy fools?

12. Benefits of being small
Can source low volume high value ingredients
Time costs money – really?
Can find the high value routes

13. My plan! Stay under 70hL Source quality flexible 2nd hand equipment
Own the orchard – authenticity
High value – bottle conditioned sparking
Just got to try and sell it

14. So, get out and get planting!
Questions?