Bristol Cider Shop is celebrating being crowned the UK’s top cider retailer – cementing its standing as one of the city’s top independent stores.
The shop, one of the first dedicated cider outlets in the country when it opened on Christmas Steps in December 2010, won the Independent Cider Retailer of the Year category at the Drinks Retailing Awards.
The awards are the drinks industry’s most prestigious accolades and involve a rigorous judging process. The shop had been short-listed for the award for the past three years – so it was third time lucky when it beat the two previous winners to the top spot this year.
Owner Pete Snowman attended the glittering awards ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel, and received the award from wine expert ‘Jolly’ Olly Smith.
Pete said “It was a great night. The Dorchester is amazing and being a drinks industry event, there was no shortage of free drinks!”
The shop, which has become a firm favourite with locals and cider aficionados – many of whom travel large distances to visit – stocks more than 100 varieties of quality local cider and perry. It recently added a tasting room, allowing it to host cider samplings, cider and food matching events, ‘meet the producer’ evenings and cider dinners.
The Drinks Retailing Awards, which have 21 categories, are staged by Off Licence News magazine. Editor Rosie Davenport said: “These are considered to be the most prestigious accolades given out to the industry and the rigorous judging process means that picking up a gong gets harder every year.”
Pictured: Bristol Cider Shop owner Pete Snowman, centre, collects the awards from ‘Jolly’ Olly Smith and Rosie Davenport, editor of Off Licence News
